Tales of the Dreamworld, 7th Night - The Princess' Tale
Rated R


	Nightmare: (n)  1. an evil spirit formerly thought 
	  to oppress people during their sleep; incubus;
	  succubus  2. a frightening dream accompanied by 
	  the sense of oppression or suffocation that 
	  usually awakens the sleeper.

				-Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary


	Just as every life possesses an instance that can be brought 
to life in words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for 
others to gaze upon and be swallowed whole within the realm.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul lies a story 
to tell, each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko 
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. They 
belong in her embrace. But the Shadowdemons and their Empress belong 
to another, and they are of my skin and soul. I embrace their dark 
realms and dark magik as my own children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their 
creators. The world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belongs 
to Naoko Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a 
part of her stories. But the realm of the waking dreamers, and both 
the angels and the demons that exist within them, are a part of my 
own story.  Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles beyond 
the moon, and my Empress belongs in her palace beyond the Sea of 
Night. 
	One of honor does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish my Shadowdemons to wander into other worlds and 
other stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com



	"The spirit that I have seen
	 May be a devil, and the devil hath power
	 T'assume a pleasing shape..."
		
						-Hamlet


	For every pure heart there is a skin of evil.
	For every passionate love there is an equal hate.
	And for every beautiful dream we can dance within, there is a 
hellish nightmare lurking just outside the light. Our world is full 
of such dichotomies, each magik split right down the middle and 
opposed to each other. Their conflict becomes ours.
	The battle is eternal. 
	For over one thousand years I have wandered the Dreamworld, 
cloaked in a veil of mystery and enigma. Only a few know of who I 
am, of what blood flows through my veins. With my immortal eyes I 
have witnessed countless kingdoms and their struggles.
	And none have drawn me in more than those of the odango-haired 
blonde and her circle of friends. On Earth they are soldiers of love 
and justice. In another life, just like one I once knew, they were 
princesses. Each one has fought for what they believed in, and 
together they fight for all of us, for all that is pure and true. 
They have laughed and cried, and some have even died.
	Now the girl destined to be Serenity must face a creature of 
the darkest an deceiving magiks to fight for her beloved, her dark-
haired prince. And she must face this danger alone with only her 
power, her wits and her compassion.
	This is the final tale I have to tell as the Wanderer, one 
where secrets hidden in the shadows we call a past will be revealed 
one by one. Here the eternal war will be waged once again, the 
stakes made and paid in human souls and human dreams. 
	Now is the time to find out what is fantasy and what is real. 
How real is your love? And how far are you willing to go to protect 
it?
	Let me tell you a story....


	THE PRINCESS' TALE


	In the void of the darkness that knew neither light nor day 
she was lost within; a dreamless state that was unaware of sleeping 
or waking realms and the hours they kept as consorts. Here no faces 
or memories existed. There were no tears or laughter, no beginning 
or end, no love or hate. Here there was no life.
	And then with a startled gasp that racked her entire body did 
she stir, arching her back off the floor, eyes wide in panic as her 
lungs were delivered the shock of breath. Her arms slapped the 
surface beneath her, toes curling up, crystal blue eyes trying to 
focus.
	Exhausted from her ordeal, she collapsed back onto the soft 
surface, letting her fingers touch her face, gently probing her 
cheeks and lips.
	"Where...where am I?" she asked herself.
	A raging vortex forged of the blackest of magiks. A flash of 
an illusion and a monstrous dragon. A limp body stolen from her 
grasp, his suited form dragged into the storm's eye by an envoy of 
dark energy.
	Her eyes widened, her mind seeing everything.
	"Mamo-chan!" she cried out, sitting up.
	Abruptly her entire chest was subjected to a cool breeze, and 
she shivered, clutching her breasts. Then she slowly lowered her 
head as she felt her own nipples.
	"Na ni?!" she exclaimed, her face turning red. "I'm naked?!"
	There were sheets of shadows covering most of her; she yanked 
those back up beneath her armpits and tried to cover up. As the 
shock of being stripped naked faded, the images of her dark-haired 
prince replayed themselves back before her eyes.
	But he was not here with her.
	Her head sunk down to her lap. "Mamo-chan," she whispered, on 
the verge of tears. Her fingers reached out and explored her new 
surroundings of black silken sheets.
	"A bed?" she wondered.
	It was a four-post one, with elegant carvings of knights and 
maidens and rampant dragons adorning the dark wooden frame. The eyes 
of the beasts were glittering with precious gemstones.
	She could see nothing outside of the bed, and what she could 
see was bathed in a rich, shimmering blue light. The darkness 
surrounding the bed resembled the darkness of the heavens, countless 
starry lights twinkling all around. She carefully leaned over the 
side of the bed, and saw the stars far below.
	There didn't appear to be an up or down, just...just this 
midnight sky wherever she looked. Was she floating? Was there even a 
floor? Did she even want to try and find out? 
	A soft object fluttered past her, brushing her cheek. It was 
delicate and fragrant, the petal of a flower. She scooped it out 
from the air, holding the petal in her palm.
	"Cherry blossoms?" she whispered.
	Now a steady rainfall of these blossoms, tinted blue in the 
shimmering light, was falling down around her. It was beautiful to 
watch, alluring to lose herself within this rain of petals. 
	She turned, craning her neck to every corner of the bed. Her 
yes came to rest upon a sleeping form next to her, one beneath the 
silken covers.
	Had it been there all this time?
	The person stirred, as if being aroused from a deep, peaceful 
sleep. She swallowed hard, taking the edge of the sheets and pulling 
them back to reveal a mature young woman.
	"Hello, child," the woman's said, slowly sitting up, black 
silk draped across every curve and contour of the woman's body. The 
voice she heard was demure, gentle, compassionate. Like the voice of 
a lover.
	A large portion of the sheets were clutched at the woman's 
breasts, shades of night revealing almost more than her imagination 
wanted to conceive. Long wavy hair of dark gold stretched out far 
beyond the woman's waist, a streak of blue running through some of 
the front bangs; it was almost as long as her own. A tall, exquisite 
figure, full red lips, soft pale skin, and eyes that held a haunting 
shine of black pearl.
	"Beautiful," she whispered, captivated by how alluring this 
young woman looked amidst the falling blossoms.
	The woman smiled. "Komban wa, Usagi. Welcome to my kingdom of 
darkness."
	Fear seized her entire heart. She slid away from the woman, 
tightly holding her own clutch of black silk over her naked body. 
She crawled back until her hand reached out and was met with the 
edge of the bed.
	"Masaka," she whispered. "You...you are...."
	The young woman smiled demurely. "Hai. I am the Shadowqueen."
	Long rectangular earrings that were perhaps ivory dangled from 
the Shadowqueen's ears, crimson runes written down upon each one. 
Around the Empress' neck was a lace choker, dangling from it a 
crescent moon forged of jadestone.
	The Queen looked so beautiful.
	This place looked so beautiful.
	"This cannot...." she protested weakly, looking around.
	"Cannot be a realm of pure, unbridled evil?" the Shadowqueen 
finished for her. "A realm where chaos is the essence and nightmares 
are lurking in every corner? A palace of dark corridors and 
flickering torches and an eerie storm howling outside?"
	"D-don't come any closer," she said, trying to ward off the  
woman.
	The Shadowqueen smiled seductively, leisurely working a way 
towards her, sauntering on all fours almost like a cat. "What were 
you expecting of me, child? The formless evil of Chaos? A grotesque 
creature incapable of loving or being loved?"
	She was being chided by this incredibly beautiful woman in an 
almost motherly fashion. With an eloquent sweep, her hand was taken 
into the grasp of this Empress, and then kissed.
	Her skin tingled at the touch of the Shadowqueen's lips. 
	The sparkling black silk revealed supple legs as the Empress 
stretched out beside her. She swallowed hard, finding her entire 
face a shade of pale rouge in blushing.
	"You are such a cute little child, Tsukino Usagi," the 
Shadowqueen whispered into her ear. 
	The Empress curled around her, arms wrapped around her neck, 
one hand reaching for her breasts. She stifled a gasp as she felt 
the woman's fingers nimbly fondle her nipple through the fabric of 
the silk. 
	"Wh-what are you doing?" she stammered. 
	Yet the effect was arousing her entire body, growing warm and 
desiring more of this affection. Her gasp was quickly becoming a 
moan.
	The Shadowqueen titled her head up so that their eyes met: 
crystal blue innocence and seductive nightfall. She found herself 
lost in the Empress' gaze.
	"Have you ever tasted a kiss of true magik, child?" the Queen 
of the Shadows asked her.
	"Please...." she whispered, her breathing slowing down, her 
mind losing its focus. What was she resisting? Was she even trying 
to resist?
	She made little protest or struggle as the Shadowqueen's lips 
met with hers, still lost in that alluring gaze within the woman's 
eyes. Everything seemed to be caught up in a dreamer's fantasy, and 
her body was being swept away with it.
	Her grip on the silk hiding her body was lost, the covers 
falling around her waist to reveal her breasts. This time she did 
not hesitate when she felt the touch of the Shadowqueen's skin 
against her own.
	She leaned her head back against the Empress' shoulder, one 
arm reaching back to wrap around the long dark hair of the 
Shadowqueen. Her own tongue moved out from her mouth to lick the tip 
of the woman's ear as the Empress continued to make a trail of 
kisses down her neck.
	"You are so beautiful, child," the Shadowqueen purred. "Such a 
beautiful face and such beautiful dreams."
	"My Empress," she whispered, bringing the Queen's face back to 
hers that she could kiss this woman once more. The fondling of her 
breasts was driving her mind into a frenzy.
	Somewhere in the far depths of her memories, the face of her 
dark-haired prince cried out for her to remember, but it was lost 
within the gaze of the Empress' seductive eyes of black pearl.
	Her quiet moaning was hushed as she held her breath, feeling 
the Shadowqueen's caress slide down her belly and reaching for her 
inner thighs.
	"My Empress!" she gasped.
	And then a loud shout not from either of them echoed across 
the darkness that was perhaps a starlit night and perhaps not. It 
was a voice she vaguely recalled in a past memory clouded over.
	"USAGI!!"
	Reluctantly she broke from the tryst, turning her head to see 
a ghostly wraith appearing before the bed, hovering amidst the 
starry night.
	The Shadowqueen smiled. "Karasu...."
	The Wanderer stood there before the bed...or was he hovering 
amidst the heavens? But his shades were gone, revealing burning eyes 
of crystal blue that glared at the Shadowqueen, her Empress. A 
second later he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her off 
the bed.
	As she slipped off the silken covers, her body hovered next to 
his, her two locks of long blonde hair fluttering around her. Such a 
strange sensation; floating yet not visibly floating.
	"Usagi!" he shouted at her, yet she remained oblivious to his 
call or her name. "Usagi! Dammit, wake up! Usagi!"
	"Let me return to my Empress," she whispered, reaching out her 
hand towards the Shadowqueen.
	"Chikusho," he swore, loosening his grip on her but keeping a 
tight lock on her wrist. She was still dreaming of her Empress as he 
turned her around to face him. 
	And then he slapped her across the cheek.
	He slapped her hard.
	The Shadowqueen winced as she tumbled onto a solid floor. 
Tears started to well up in her eyes as she clutched her stinging 
cheek, staring at him with disbelief and shock. "Karasu!" she 
exclaimed. "Why did you do something as cruel as that!"
	The starry night surrounding the bed was lost, replaced with 
exotic chambers of black marble and ancient beauty. The rainfall 
ended, hundreds of small pink petals littering the floor.
	And then she heard the soft, sweet and amused laughter of the 
Shadowqueen. Slowly she turned, her mind clouded by the passing 
moments between waking up in this place and then being slapped by 
him. 
	What had happened? What was this warm feeling welling up 
inside her body? Why was she so wet?
	She gawked at her body when she found herself naked again, 
this time without sheets to pull over. He didn't seem to care, more 
concerned with the Shadowqueen. A crystal orb bounced across the 
floor, touching her skin. Within a blink of her blue eyes she found 
herself wearing her high school uniform.
	The Wanderer came between them, the Arashi's blade casting an 
electric blue glow upon the chambers as it was unsheathed. "Still 
using your twisted fantasies on innocent souls I see, your 
Highness," he growled.
	"Wanderer," the Shadowqueen remarked, lips curled upwards in a 
savage smile. "This is an unexpected visit from you. Why would you 
grace me with your presence?" 
	The Empress slowly rose from the bed, billows of black silk 
fluttering around the woman's figure. The fabric wrapped around the 
Shadowqueen's waist, clinging and revealing.
	If it was meant to distract the Wanderer, he showed no sings 
of losing his focus. "You stole my friends and took them into your 
kingdom," he stated icily. "We both know only you have access to the 
borders of this place. I want them both returned to Illusion, and I 
want you to open the barrier for them."
	He brushed aside some of his bangs of shining blonde hair, 
never letting his dark gaze move away from the Shadowqueen. His 
Arashi sword shimmered in whatever aura was giving this place light.
	She scrambled in behind the Wanderer, unsure of what was 
happening; this was all like some sort of surreal nightmare.
	"In over one thousand years, you have never looked to pick a 
fight with raven angel or Shadowdemon," the Queen said, sauntering 
leisurely towards them. "Wisely enough, in the past you have only 
attacked what crossed your path the wrong way. So then I must ask: 
why start endangering your life now?"
	"You yourself answered that question," he answered evenly. 
"You crossed my path the wrong way when you stole Usagi-chan and 
Mamoru."
	The Shadowqueen seemed amused by the entire situation. "You 
would throw the tattered remains of your life away for this girl? 
How...interesting." 
	The Empress took hold of one of the bedposts, spinning around 
to finally sit upon the dark sheets. The silk wrapped around the 
woman's body moved with a possessed life of its own, folding, 
twirling and breathing all around the Queen.
	"So you hid in the shadows of my magik and penetrated my 
kingdom just to retrieve them? How ingenious, Karasu. But surely you 
know that none can enter or leave this domain without my consent. I 
sense all that goes on within these borders. This part of the 
Dreamworld is my soul, and I am its twisted heart."
	"They are both leaving," he stated solemnly, his voice both a 
challenge and a threat. "Even if I have to stay here for another 
thousand years as a result, you will not have their dreams or their 
magik."
	"One is the other," the Shadowqueen countered. "Their magik 
forges their dreams, and their dreams shine with the aura of their 
magik. All I have to do is seize one and I possess both."
	He growled at that.
	"You don't look as handsome as when I saw you last," the Queen 
remarked, pointing to the cut across his temple. 
	The blood had long since dried in the winds, but the scarlet 
river still stained his cheek and neck. There was no silver cloak 
behind his body, his uniform gone and replaced by his old suit. Even 
at that, his attire was torn in numerous places. Multiple tears were 
across his dress shirt, one of his pant legs was cut open, and his tie was loosened from around his neck.
	"I have you to thank for that," he retorted. "And if I had the 
magik within my illusions I would pay you back tenfold."
	"Yare yare," the Shadowqueen said, waving his words aside. "I 
tire of these games, Karasu."
	"Where is Mamo-chan?" she cried out, finally finding a voice 
to speak with in the company of these Dreamworlders. "What have you 
done with him?"
	"I have given him the gift of his beautiful dream," the 
Empress answered, stepping forward. "He is in my castle now, living 
out this dream. I can let you walk within his dream, child. All you 
have to do is ask of me."
	"She's not going anywhere with you," the Wanderer snapped, 
making a displaying swipe with the Arashi to keep the Shadowqueen at 
bay.
	The Queen of the Shadows smiled, eyes cast at her now. "The 
choice is hers to make, Karasu, and not yours. I invited her to my 
castle beyond the Sea of Night; you are an uninvited guest." 
	She held her breath as she saw those eyes of darkened pearl, 
thrilled with their haunting shine. For a moment she almost 
whispered the name of the Empress, but bit her tongue to keep from 
speaking.
	Suddenly a loud snarl echoed across the ancient chambers, and 
a streak of beach sands came alive from beneath the draperies, 
pouncing upon the Shadowqueen. Large blazing eyes were matched with 
sharpened teeth and crushing jaws as a small but enraged dragon 
launched its attack.
	"Suna-chan!" she cried out.
	He took the advantage gained with the dragon's distraction. 
"Usagi!" he shouted, seizing her wrist and dragging her out of the 
bedroom chamber. "We have to leave now!"
	The dragon, despite its small size, was viciously thrashing 
about as it tried to draw blood from this incarnation of darkness. 
And then the Shadowqueen's eyes flashed an eerie violet. The dragon 
screeched in pain as its body was caught up in a fury of blak magik, 
convulsing as frothy white foam sprayed out from its jaws.
	"Iie!" she screamed, pulling herself back into the chambers. 
"Suna-chan!"
	"Usagi!" the Wanderer snapped, trying to wrench her back 
through the doorway.
	"But Suna could die!" she exclaimed, trying to tear herself 
away from him. Abruptly he yanked her back, pushing her against the 
wall. "Karasu, you're hurting me!" she cried, still struggling.
	"Forget him; he's gone!" he hissed. "The Shadowqueen's magik 
has already stolen his soul. You can't save him."
	His eyes turned back to the Shadowqueen, who was watching them 
both with a coy smile. That sweet laughter of the Empress filled the 
room amidst the dragon's frenzied shrieks: "You cannot escape, 
Wanderer. You can only run so far. And you can only hide this 
beautiful child for so long."	
	"Watch me," he said coldly, raising his free hand to reveal a 
crystal illusion inside his palm. 
	Abruptly the chambers were flooded with a blinding light, and 
she winced as she tried to shut out the light from her eyes. A warm 
feeling came over her, a sensation of flying. She became lost within 
the light and knew she was disappearing from this place.
	Her sealed eyes were unable to keep the tears from streaking 
down her cheek. "Suna-chan," she silently begged. "Forgive me...."


	They were in a corridor, princess and wanderer.
	With the Arashi sheathed, he began to summon an array of 
crystals to weave a subtle net of illusions. In the glow of the 
orbs, the corridor was bathed with an aura of oceanic blue.
	The corridor was of shining silver cobblestone, high arched 
ceilings and elaborately decorated columns. Everything was out of a 
faery tale's storybook, perfected right down to the last detail.
	"Incredible," he muttered, lost in his own realm of thoughts. 
"She loves to play with illusions more than I do. I've never seen a 
conjured fantasy like this before in my life."
	Rows of arched windows opened up to the view of ocean waters 
gently rolling over a floor of cobblestone not two storeys below 
her, as well as scattered fountains and deep pools around the 
courtyard. She leaned forward, savouring the cool winds that brought 
with them a scent of a warm embrace and a lover's kisses.
	"Beautiful," she whispered absently, the horrific vision of 
the dragon's doomed struggle replaying itself in her mind's eye. 
Scorn crept into her heart, directing itself upon a young man who 
seemed to know compassion, but had cared not to exercise it amidst 
the dragon's cries.
	"Don't be too taken with it," he stated solemnly, letting 
another crystal drift away. "This is all a mere creation of the 
Shadowqueen, its sole purpose meant to seduce you until you 
willingly surrender yourself to her."
	She clenched her fists, trembling in quiet fury at how even 
his tone was. As if nothing had happened in the moments before. As 
if they had been sharing pleasant memories and not a terrifying 
vision. The anger could no longer be contained and she whirled, hot 
tears starting to flow down her skin once more. 
	"Why?" she shouted. "Why did you leave Suna-chan behind when 
he needed out help? All you could do was run away while he tried to 
help us! Why, Karasu? Why?!"
	He bristled at that. "I could do nothing for him, Usagi. When 
he attacked, Suna knew he wouldn't make it out. If we had stayed, 
his fate would now be ours."
	"But he was your friend!" she protested.
	"Dammit, you don't understand. You don't belong in this world, 
Usagi."
	"Neither do you!" she exclaimed. He backed down, his face 
looking almost like she had just slapped him. She placed her hand 
over her mouth, the anger gone to be replaced with regret. "Gomen 
ne, Karasu."
	He laughed darkly. "Why should you be sorry? You're right; the 
mistake was mine. Though in words and not action. The Shadowqueen's 
powers rival only Helios' magik--and he cannot help us. Even I can't 
hope to win. Suna-chan bought us time to hide in the hopes that we 
might escape."
	She was standing before him, still trembling and unable to 
accept the fate of the lesser dragon. Her long blonde hair was 
draped alongside her cheeks as she lowered her head.
	"Why did Suna-chan have to do that?" she whispered. "Why did 
he have to die?"
	The gentle embrace of the Wanderer enclosed her, and she clung 
to his suit to find comfort. All this pain because of her. First it 
had been her friends from Earth who suffered; now it was overtaking 
her friends from the Dreamworld. 
	"Usagi," his voice said quietly to her. "Suna-chan chose of 
his own free will to protect you. You never forced him to do 
anything. It was his sacrifice, and I am not about to let it be in 
vain."
	She sniffed, wiping away her tears as she stood on her own. 
With a nod, she was forced to accept the loss of the lesser dragon.
	"As much as I hate to bring you back to harsh reality," he 
said. "We've got enough problems of our own without worrying about 
Suna-chan."
	He glanced out the windows, staring down at the tide-swept 
courtyard. Somewhere out there songbirds were gently serenading the 
midnight of this savage garden. In another dream this would have 
been a beautiful kingdom to roam through, yet there were tangled 
thorns hidden within the form of such a precious rose.
	And the bleeding had already begun. 
	"The Shadowqueen doesn't want Mamoru," he stated. "She wants 
you, Usagi. She wants your body, your soul, your magik. But the 
Empress of the Shadows also loves a fine game such as the one we're 
playing right now--and Mamoru's the key to keep us playing. 
Regardless of the outcome, he will be unharmed...not safe, but 
unharmed."
	She managed a smile despite the knot forming in her stomach. 
"I used to think that only Mamo-chan was the kind who attracted both 
men and women."
	He chuckled, though the humor seemed to taper off as they 
gazed at the crescent moon hanging overhead amidst a thousand stars 
in the heavens.
	"We're on our own, Usagi," he said solemnly. "It's like the 
Shadowqueen said: no one can enter or leave this place without her 
allowing them to do so. She can track us at her leisure, no matter 
how many illusions I summon to hide our auras."
	"My friends will come," she said, hopeful.
	They always came to help each other. The blue-haired genius, 
the long-haired blonde, the dark-haired shrine girl, the tall 
brunette; they would find a way.
	"Not unless they want to taste death...or worse," he 
countered. "If they come, then the Shadowqueen will let them in and 
subject them to the same fantasy you almost got caught within. No, 
the guardians will hold them back--at least I hope they can manage 
that."
	She felt a lump forming in her throat; she knew the others 
well enough that not even hell's gates would bar their way to help 
her. Numerous times in the past they had been willing to pay the 
price with their own blood and breath. They had always been willing 
to sacrifice everything for her. Yet it never failed to cause her 
pain; why them and not her? Why the dragon? 
	Her shining blue eyes widened at a memory. It was just as the 
Mystwolf Okami had once said to her: sacrifice above all, for her as 
a queen and as a friend. She could not understand. She would never 
fully understand. 
	He winced slightly at an unseen pain, his eyes widening and 
then blinking in disorientation. She never saw his hand almost sink 
into the stone at the window's edge. 
	She touched his shoulder. "Daijobu?"
	"Hai hai, Usagi," he answered with a smile. "I'm just using a 
lot of energy and magik in trying to hide us from the Shadowqueen. 
Let's hope she doesn't find us too quickly, and I have to create 
another shadow to hide us in."
	"We'll make it," she said, sincere and determined from the 
very core of her heart. "Ganbaru, Karasu. We'll find Mamo-chan and 
find a way out from this place. Just wait and see."
	"You're so optimistically naive, Usagi-chan," he remarked with 
a grin. "Perhaps that's a part of your charm."
	His own crystal blue eyes seemed to pierce the shadows he was 
standing in. For a moment there was a curious sense of recognition 
in her own eyes as she looked at him, but it was dismissed. After 
all, the Wanderer had lived during the Silver Millennium while she 
was a young princess. And if he was a warrior-mage, perhaps she had 
seen him at the formal gatherings. Still it bothered her not 
knowing.
	She turned her head as a low, guttural growl from around a 
corner echoed past them, followed by loud huffs of warm breaths. The 
cobblestone shuddered with the sound of a heavy footstep. She clung 
to his arm, trying to hide behind him.
	"Uh-oh," he muttered.
	"'Uh-oh'?" she exclaimed. "What do you mean by 'uh-oh'?!"
	The answer appeared, though preceded by a monstrous shadow 
that cast darkness upon them both. Something that might have once 
been a docile dragon loomed over the two, sandy-coloured scales 
lining a taunt body, enormous paws displaying savage claws and 
spikes running down its back. Burning red eyes glared at them as 
smoke filtered out from the nostrils of its sloped mouth, jagged 
teeth surrounding its jaws. Twin horns corkscrewed out from the back 
of its head, dark and shining.
	"What is that?" she whispered hoarsely.
	Opening his palm, the Wanderer's Arashi appeared. He was 
making slow, deliberate movements. "That was Suna," he answered. 
"Now he's become a serpynt, vicious beasts subservient to the 
Shadowqueen and her demons."
	"No..." she whispered, staring up at the eyes bent on 
destroying them.
	He stepped forward, motioning for her to keep where she was. 
"Stay put; I'll be right back."
	Hands clasped as if to pray, she watched him approach the now 
savage beast. Walking out towards the serpynt, he brandished the 
Arashi, electrical arcs rising up from the ground and walls to touch 
the glowing blade.
	"Don't worry, Suna-chan," he said. "I'll make it quick and 
painless."
	With one hand he raised the sword above his head, breaking 
into a run and making a vicious swipe. The blade flashed and 
unleashed a wave of energy that tore a hole through the floor, 
shattering a column. The serpynt's blazing eyes widened as the 
attack struck.
	Her own eyes were filled with newfound shock as to what was 
happening. "Karasu, no!" she shouted. "What are you doing?"
	Suddenly a brilliant flash engulfed the serpynt, only to then 
streak towards the Wanderer. As the glow left the new epicentre, the 
beast was revealed to be unharmed, swiping the attack away with one 
of its paws.
	He let out a startled shout as he somersaulted backwards to 
evade the crushing magik which instead slammed into a row of 
windows. It spewed out debris and dust onto the tidal courtyard 
below, leaving behind an enormous hole in the wall.
	He landed by her side, panting and nursing another small cut 
across his face. "He's more powerful than I thought," he said, 
massaging his neck. "We seriously have to destroy him now if we want 
to survive." 
	Her eyes widened; kill the dragon? Could he even think of such 
a thing? But she had already witnessed him trying to level the beast 
with one attack--while the soul of a peaceful creature was trapped 
inside.
	"Karasu, we can't!" she protested. "Suna-chan's our friend!"
	The serpynt let out another bellow, this one shaking the 
entire corridor and raining down stone chips and dust. It glared at 
them, and unleashed a wave of flaming breath. He grabbed hold of 
her, and flung them both out the gaping hole in the corridor wall as 
the river of flame and smoke nearly incinerated them.
	With an escort of fire they plunged into one of the deeper 
pools of the tidal courtyard. There was a moment of silence, the 
spout jutting out from the middle of the pool creating the only 
noise.
	Then they surfaced, gasping for air. Not a moment later he 
grabbed her waist and erupted from the water as the serpynt's feet 
and claws crushed the spout, raising up a tidal wave. Landing in 
knee-high water over cobblestone, he set her down.
	With an enraged hiss the serpynt turned, its large tail 
thrashing about as it stomped out from the pool. Wings outstretched, 
the beast lifted its massive head and sparked a new river of fire 
that was countered by an illusion summoning the tidal waters. Waves 
formed a funnel and crush the flames.
	"Tenacious bastard," he muttered. He lifted the Arashi again, 
only to have her hands grab his and restrain a devastating blow. 
	"Don't hurt him!" she pleaded. "Don't hurt Suna-chan!"
	"Look at him, Usagi!" he snapped. "That is not the Suna-chan 
you once knew. And if we don't stop him now, then he will hunt us 
down--and make no mistake in that he will kill us."
	"But--" she said, desperately trying to find a way to save the 
dragon.
	He growled, the blade of his sword shining in the pale 
moonlight. "Dammit, Usagi, if you won't attack then I will!"
	Suddenly an enormous paw surrounded by gales of sweeping water 
and foam erupted from the tidal floor, tearing the Wanderer from her 
grip. The dragon smashed him into the walls enclosing the courtyard, 
stone buckling and cracking as he struck, the Arashi falling into 
the water.
	With a large sweeping motion ushering a new wave of water, the 
serpynt turned towards the Wanderer. The beast's eyes showed it 
ready to finish what had already begun. He groaned, struggling to 
rise from the churning tides.
	And then she was between them both.
	"Suna-chan!" she cried out, standing before the rampaging 
beast. "It's me, Usagi. Don't you remember me?"
	The serpynt paused, staring down at her. It was examining, 
searching a faint memory, questioning her existence.
	"Don't you remember Minako-chan and Kishi?" she continued. 
"The sanctuary forest? This is not you, Suna-chan. Please stop this. 
Suna-chan?"
	For a second, blazing eyes flickered in recognition, and her 
heart leapt with a growing smile. This smile faded a heartbeat later 
as the serpynt's shadow fell upon her, a bellow from the beast 
throwing back her long blonde hair and sending up a spray of water.
	"Suna-chan, please!" she screamed.
	But reasoning was gone, and unless she moved death would be 
the last memory within her mind.
	"Usagi!" he shouted, dashing frantically through the water to 
reach her. Abruptly with one step he vanished only to make another 
step right beside her, hoisting her out from the water and throwing 
the two of them aside.
	The serpynt raked down its savage claws, tearing at the 
Wanderer's back. She was beyond finding a voice for her words as 
blood sprayed out from between his lips to decorate hers.
	Separated by the blow, she tumbled through the water as he 
soared back into stone. He let out a stifled gasp as he struck the 
wall, blood now dripping down face and his arm. His body toppled 
face-first into the water, floating there lifelessly.
	She crawled through the tides, frightened to even reach out 
and touch his shoulder. "Karasu?"
	He emerged of his own accord.
	"Bakaiyaro," he growled, laughing with more malevolence than 
she had ever heard. Slowly he rose to stare defiantly at the 
serpynt. "Did you even think for a moment that this would slow me 
down?"
	With a silent call the Arashi exploded from beneath the 
surface of the tidal courtyard, sending forth a shockwave that threw 
the serpynt threw the wall of cobblestone and crashing far into the 
Sea of Night. Unleashing a furious howl, the beast thrashed about in 
the ocean waves to spread its wings and catch the winds. Blazing 
eyes were glaring at him, at them both. She was still shaking 
uncontrollably from facing near death--only to see the Wanderer 
taking and thus spilling the blood.
	"It's time we left this," he growled.
	He launched the crystal illusion at the serpynt, and suddenly 
the orb exploded into a blinding flash of light that engulfed 
everything. Her vision lost, all she could do was feel his guiding 
embrace take her away from this nightmare.
	Tightly she clung to him, not wanting another friend to be 
torn away and hurt. Not like the past. Not like the playful dragon 
trapped within that hellish beast. 
	Not again....


	The illusion misfired.
	For a moment she hung in the air, poised over a large fountain 
with an exotic stone fish spouting forth water. She hovered just 
long enough to look down, and see the drop before the illusion ended 
and gravity began. With a loud, frantic cry she tried to evade the 
plunge in flapping about her arms and legs to push her aside. The 
attempt didn't work. Upon contact she tried to leap from the water. 
That didn't work either.
	"COLD WATER! COLD WATER!" she exclaimed, thrashing about in 
the knee-high water. Coughing and sputtering she pulled herself to 
the edge of the marble fount, a thoroughly unamused expression 
across her face.
	"Karasu...." she muttered darkly.
	She lifted her head from the fountain wall as she heard the 
weak laughter of the Wanderer, her hostility vanishing. 
	The illusion had misfired for them both; he had a lop-sided 
smile as he leisurely floated about in the water, soaked from hair 
to shoes.
	"Karasu!" she shouted, flinging herself on top of him and 
hugging him--and in the process trying to drown him. "I thought you 
were dead back there!"
	"I will be if you don't let go!" he wheezed as he managed to 
surface.	
	She laughed, sitting back. "Oh! Gomen!"
	Needless to say, she was rather embarrassed.
	Spitting out some water, the Wanderer rose up and stepped over 
the fountain wall, wringing out the ends of his torn jacket. A 
puddle of water formed at his feet.
	"I hate it when this happens," he muttered, snapping his 
fingers. A new illusion took hold that dried them both off. 
	She glanced down, tugging at the ends of her regulation 
sailor-style blouse and pleated skirt. "Why this anyways?"
	"I haven't really seen you in anything else," he answered. 
"And it was all I could come up with in a split second. Would you to 
change?"
	She shook her head. "I'm fine." 
	He glanced around the new room, one with high archways and 
balconies and plants lining the base of the walls. Two more 
fountains like this one were in present. They were in an atrium 
somewhere.
	"This place is probably worse than Meikyu's labyrinth," he 
muttered. 
	Only a few steps were taken before the room suddenly spun 
around in his vision. Stumbling as his senses started to reel inside 
his mind, he set a hand against the wall--and recoiled when his 
fingers slipped through otherwise solid stone.
	"Shimatta," he whispered, clenching his fingers into a ball. 
"Not now...out of all the times, why now?"
	"Karasu!" she called out, rushing to his aid. "Are you hurt?"
	He shook his head, keeping her away with a gesture. "I'm fine, 
Usagi. Just a little tired, that's all; the serpynt could never kill 
me, but the illusions I used to heal myself are starting to take 
their toll on my body's energy."
	She bit her lip at the mention of the serpynt beast. 
	"Gomen ne, Karasu," she said, feeling sick to her stomach. "I 
thought I could reach Suna-chan. I...I didn't mean for you to get 
hurt protecting me."
	"It's all just a dirty game she's playing with us," he stated, 
wincing as he flexed his hand. For a second time in but a few weeks 
he was feeling sincere pain never before felt in over a thousand 
years.
	The truth had been hidden from her; he was losing his power 
faster than she knew. That was why his illusion had dropped them 
into a fountain. And that was why not all his wounds were sealed.
	The cuts down his back were numb; he had no idea how deep they 
were, but what he liked even less was the fact that he could be 
injured now despite his true essence. Damned Shadowdemon powers; if 
only his illusions could match them.
	"Karasu," he heard her whisper.
	He glanced down at himself, at the blood dripping down his arm 
and from his fingers, soaking through the sides of his white dress 
shirt. The puddle of water at his feet was slowly becoming a muddy 
crimson.
	"Forget about that," he said, trying to calm her visible 
fears. He stifled a gasp as a surge of pain racked his body; the 
return to ghostly essence had begun.
	"You're not alright," she said, moving closer to him. "So 
please don't lie to me just to make me feel better. I'm sorry you 
were hurt because of me, Karasu. It was my fault."
	He found himself smiling. "Compassion is your greatest 
strength and your greatest weakness. But you don't know how it makes 
me feel to see you smile again, Usagi-chan."
	Her crystal blue eyes were starting to tremble with grave 
concern the longer she stared at the Wanderer's ailing health. And 
then he flickered. Not as if she blinked, but he literally 
disappeared from sight for a split second, and returned.
	"Karasu," she pleaded uneasily. "What's happening?"
	"Usagi," he said, taking slow, deep breaths as his own crystal 
blue eyes looked straight into hers. "You have to realize that she 
is not Galaxia. This is not a once pure soul corrupted by evil. The 
Shadowqueen is pure evil. She is like the Chaos entity that attacked 
Galaxia; she is the nemesis of this world. And until you understand 
that, you have no chance in beating her."
	"What you mean by just 'you'?" she asked, staring at him with 
uncertain and unbelieving eyes. "You sound like we're not going to 
see each other again, Karasu."
	"You will have to go on alone," he stated. She looked into his 
eyes, saw the sweat glistening off his face. He was visibly fighting 
something, though the threat appeared invisible to her.
	She shook her head, unwilling to believe that he was going to 
leave her now. Now? Right when she needed him the most? Another good 
heart was suffering because of her. But she had to fight. She had to 
win back at least one!
	"We can make it!" she said. "Karasu, we've come this far! If 
we give up now, then why even fight in the first place?"
	"I can't fight alongside you any longer," he said, turning his 
gaze to the floor. "My powers are fading, and I'll be a true lost 
soul once more, a ghost."
	"You're not a ghost!" she protested, raising her voice. "You 
were with Rei-chan. You were hurt by Mistress Nine. You're just like 
us, Karasu; you're just stuck between worlds."
	"You really believe that?" he asked solemnly.
	She let out a startled shout, recoiling as he suddenly plunged 
his hand into her belly. Yet his fingers passed through as if she 
were just a dream--or else as if he was just that.
	"Na ni?!" she exclaimed.
	"You want to see what it truly means to be a lost soul?" he 
said, slowly retracting his arm. "Take a good, hard look, Usagi. 
This is the essence of me now: no tricks, no slight of hand, no 
illusions."
	She was shivering, her entire body seized with a cold fear 
unlike any other. This was not terror, nor was it a looming sense of 
dread. This was a new taste in her mouth, a new twist in her 
stomach.
	"Wh-what does it mean?" she asked quietly.
	The Wanderer pushed back the bangs of shining blonde hair from 
his sweat-covered face. "A lost soul is a literal ghost, a soul 
without a body. It cannot touch, cannot be touched, cannot interact 
with anything. When you break through these realms, the conflicting 
magiks of Earth and the Dreamworld tear your soul away from your 
body. I am the result standing here. I was lucky, Usagi. Luckier 
than anyone else, because I was at the time a master of illusions. 
But even still, my magik was nothing like the magik of this 
world...so for ten years of total solitude I wandered. I didn't even 
have the power to take a fleeting glance back at my old, familiar 
realm."
	He opened up his palm, the air coming together to form three 
crystal orbs, the last of his illusions. Once more he began the 
comforting ritual of twirling them around in his hand.
	"Ten years after I became a lost soul," he continued. "I by 
chance encountered a creature who somehow could sense me despite the 
fact that I was a ghost. He was able to help teach me how to craft 
my illusions so that I could once again become actual flesh and 
blood. That creature was a Mystwolf."
	"Okami-san," she whispered. She remembered the words Karasu 
had spoken to the Mystwolf when Mistress 9 had been resurrected. So 
that was the first debt the Wanderer owed.
	"Setsuna once wondered why I always carried these with me," he 
remarked, sighing twirled the crystals in his hands. "I think she 
knows why now."
	They were illusions, specially crafted to go into every last 
domain in the Dreamworld, even a dark kingdom. And there they would 
hide until another lost soul tumbled in, waiting to give life to a 
spirit. That was the reason the dark-haired shrine girl was attacked 
and nearly raped when she tore through the boundaries. For as long 
as they had been together she had held one inside herself, unaware 
of the illusion giving her flesh and blood.
	"But can't you just create an illusion to give you a permanent 
body?" she asked.
	He laughed, amused. "If I was that good, Usagi, then all the 
Mystwolves would still be alive, and the Shadowdemons would have 
been wiped out a long time ago by my hands. I may be a master, but 
mastery of my art has seven levels within itself. I'm only at the 
second.
	"Besides," he added, his form rippling once more. "There is 
nothing for me to return to in your world."
	He was really starting to flicker now, and it was frightening 
her even more. There could be no avoiding or denying that he stood a 
chance at staying by her side. Very soon Karasu would vanish.
	"How can you say such things?" she exclaimed.
	He knelt down, taking care to avoid a wall he might stumble 
through; the strain and exhaustion was wearing his magik thin. "Ten 
years after the birth of the silver moon princess, and most of her 
court, I was trapped in the Dreamworld as a lost soul. Another ten 
years passed before I found within me the power to create this 
temporary body, and visit the Moon Kingdom once again."
	The Wanderer plucked up one of the crystals, holding it close 
to his face. "She was just like I had last seen our Queen," he said 
solemnly, though smiling at a distant memory. "Ethereal even in 
death, Usagi. But I had returned to a world that was destroyed, and 
everything I had come to treasure was gone. Only later did I learn 
from Rei-chan what had happened. There was nothing left for me to 
return to, and by that time my body was already destroyed by 
Metalia's attack."
	"How can you know that?" she asked.
	He gently blew on one of the crystals, the orb floating into 
the air and drifting down a corridor. "When my soul and body were 
torn apart, my body would have remained perfectly intact despite any 
amount of time that had passed. I learned that from another lost 
soul who had spent two hundred years in here, only to return to a 
body that was still as young as when she had left."
	Another spasm of pain caused him to grimace and shudder, but 
for as much as she wanted to help the Wanderer, she knew her 
comforting embrace would be met with no touch.
	"But as for me," he continued. "my body would have been placed 
in a secret chamber beneath the palace where many in the royal 
family would wait until by some miracle I returned. That chamber was 
crushed when the palace fell. And despite Queen Serenity sending you 
all into the future, I was left behind."
	She shook her head, trying to hold back the tears; if only she 
could hold him, to comfort them both. "Serenity would never have 
been so cruel to leave you behind."
	"I had no soul to go with my body," he said plainly. "Even 
though you and Endymion had died, your souls still existed in that 
realm. Mine was lost somewhere between realms, and our Queen's magik 
couldn't find it." He sighed, rolling a crystal across the floor. 
"Maybe if I had met Okami sooner I could have been reborn in this 
era."
	He winced, completely fading for two beats of her heart before 
reappearing. He blinked, trying to keep himself aligned with this 
kingdom.
	"Iie," she whispered, on the edge of breaking down into tears. 
"You can't die. Karasu, you can't die!"
	He smiled, letting the second crystal float away. "Now who 
said I was going to die, Usagi? I have no body to be killed in. This 
form is in essence an illusion. All my illusions come from my own 
magik, but I can only sustain them for so long before I become too 
weak to keep this solid form. And I am using every last shred of 
energy I possess to keep us hidden from the Shadowqueen."
	That at least gave her a hope to cling to; with a hope she 
still had a chance. They both had a chance. "How long before you can 
come back?"
	He shook his head, trying to smile despite it all. "Who knows? 
But right now I just need to sleep for a little while."
	She smiled through her tears, a droplet falling down her cheek 
and touching the corner of her lips. "Daijobu, Karasu. Sleep as long 
as you want. I'll be waiting."
	"Usagi," he whispered, trying to reach out and touch her 
cheek. But his fingers slipped through, and he drew back his hand. 
"Usagi, listen to me. You are every bit the precious soul I knew 
when you were still a young child in another life. Don't lose; not 
now, not ever. Find Endymion, and find a way out."
	Then footsteps echoed across the atrium, and walking out from 
a shadow given life in the pale moonlight emerged the Shadowqueen. A 
smile tugged at those bright red lips, a sparkle in those eyes of 
black pearl.
	"So children, here's where you have been hiding."
	With newfound strength to protect her, the Wanderer grimaced 
and fought to stand against the crackling powers of the Empress. A 
flash of light erupted from his palm, the Arashi appearing once 
more.
	"Karasu," she whispered hoarsely, backing away. Yet a part of 
her refused to leave, to desert another friend putting everything 
they had on the line just for her sake.	
	"Go," he stated to her. "I'll see you on the other side, 
Usagi." And with that, he winked at her. "Daijobu; I haven't lived a 
thousand years for nothing. What of me is there for her to destroy 
once I disappear?"
	She nodded, forcing herself to look away and take one fateful 
step in the opposite direction. She was following her own destiny, 
and Karasu was choosing his. And with her single step went up a 
silent prayer to heaven that he would not suffer because of her.
	Not like the lesser dragon.
	Suddenly the entire corridor was lit up in a fiery green aura. 
She whirled, screaming out his name as she saw the ball of neon 
emerald magik explode around him, electrical arcs striking what 
should have been a ghostly essence.
	He was back onto his knees, propped up with one arm as the 
remainder of his suit was slashed and burned at the edges. Once 
again the Shadowqueen approached leisurely, sauntering as if 
enjoying a moonlit walk.
	"My dear Karasu," the Shadowqueen sighed, visibly disappointed 
in him. "For so long you managed to stay alive even as a ghost, but 
now for defying me you shall die."
	"That'll be somewhat difficult considering I don't have a body 
for you to kill," he retorted, his entire body trembling as he 
fought to stand.
	A simple gesture from the Empress send a bolt of dark magik 
striking the Wanderer. He clutched his hand as the magik slashed his 
skin, sending up a spray of blood and hurling the mystic sword into 
the fountain.
	"Death comes in many forms," the Shadowqueen stated. "I have 
the magik to seal off your illusionary powers forever, Wanderer. You 
will never be a part of anyone's dreams ever again--or anyone's 
world for that matter."
	The pooling blak magik began to encircle the Wanderer, and he 
could do nothing but glare at the Shadowqueen as he was slowly lost 
within the swirling cloud of darkness.
	"Such a pity," the Empress lamented.	
	Abruptly he turned, his crystal blue eyes wide and wild as he 
stared at her. "Run, Usagi!" he shouted, launching his third and 
last illusion. "Remember Endymion!"
	She froze as the crystal orb bounced across the cobblestone 
and then was sent spinning into the air, her entire chest tingling 
as it disappeared through her blouse.
	"KARASU!" she screamed.
	And then the storm converged upon him, swallowing him up in a 
churning cloud of darkness and pulsating evil. The magik continued 
to shrink, and surprisingly shrunk to reveal the crouched form of 
the Wanderer.
	At first she was overcome with joy, with the hope that somehow 
he had beaten the Shadowqueen. But it faded with the realization 
that the magik was not fading, but entering his body and possessing 
it there.
	His ghostly form was but a shadow of itself now, only an 
outline of his contours truly visible. "Gomen ne, Usagi," he 
whispered. "I'm sorry to make you cry." He stretched out his hand. 
"Tell Rei-chan I'll miss her company...."
	"Karasu," she cried, the tears running down her cheeks.
	Eyes closed, the Wanderer surrendered to a more powerful 
magik. He vanished, the last of his body disappearing with an 
explosion of silver sparkles that floated down to the cobblestone 
floor.
	All who remained were her and the Shadowqueen. Slowly her eyes 
met with those of the Empress, and she was shuddering with every 
beat of her heart.
	"Why?" she demanded. "Why are you doing this?"
	"You are asking an ancient question that holds no answer," the 
Shadowqueen answered. "All I wish to do is comfort you, child. The 
others could never understand that I would protect you forever, 
Usagi. All I ask is that you love me, surrender to me and I will be 
your willing servant, your slave."
	Her clenched fists were shaking in furious rage, the tears 
streaking down her skin dying out as her crystal blue eyes glared at 
the Empress.
	"Get away from me!" she screamed. "Get away from me!!"
	Suddenly a crystal orb shot through the atrium from an 
adjacent hallway, smashing itself into the ground and sending up a 
blast of tinted blue light. One of three illusions took hold.
	She closed her eyes as once again the shadows closed around 
her, that she might still walk these corridors without fear for 
perhaps one more passing hour.
	For a moment she thought she saw a fleeting glimpse of the 
Wanderer, but it was nothing more because he was now gone forever. 
	"Karasu," she whispered. "I'm sorry...."


	Silence.
	Loneliness.
	And while there within the beauty of a palace's garden, she 
felt no comfort. She had only herself to comfort and be comforted 
by. A series of strange, crimson Torii's led the way from the upper 
echelons of the palace down to this place. Each gateway was 
intricately carved and decorated with runes she could not read.
	Here in the garden, plants of all beauty and colour bloomed 
full around her as she collapsed from physical and emotional 
exhaustion. Each petal seemed to turn in her direction, sensing the 
presence of a new soul in their midst.
	Sitting on her knees, feet sprawled out behind her, she stared 
forlornly up at the crescent moon's pale shine. On another night 
perhaps it would have been comforting to look at. But reality was 
threatening to crush her fragile heart.
	The Mystwolf Okami had been right all along; she could not 
understand why they all were sacrificing themselves for her. It was 
hard enough seeing her friends in pain because of her, but now this 
was reaching into the two worlds.
	They both had suffered in the hopes of protecting her, and yet 
they failed. Now the dragon was possessed by the soul of a 
remorseless, rampaging beast. Now the Wanderer was exiled to essence 
where he survived but was trapped in a hell of seeing and being 
forbidden to touch.
	Rows of Forget-Me-Not's lifted their petals, rustling in the 
evening breeze. They stared at her sadness. The flowers would 
remember her tears; they always remembered.
	"Karasu," she whispered. "Suna-chan. Everyone...I can't do 
this without you all. I can't go on alone like this."
	"Yes, you can," a gentle voice answered her.
	She lifted her head, gasping in a hoarse voice as the long-
haired blonde's quiet smile stared back at her. Dressed in a sailor 
battle fuku the long-haired blonde was standing before her, floating 
about a foot off the ground and flowers.
	"Minako-chan," she whispered. "How is this possible?"
	"Before he was sent into the vortex," the long-haired blonde 
answered, slowly stepping down from hovering in the air. "Karasu 
managed to give us one illusion to make contact into the 
Shadowqueen's realm. I heard you crying, Usagi-chan, and I came."
	"Are...are you a ghost?" she asked.
	The long-haired blonde laughed quietly, kneeling down next to 
her. "Usagi, I am very much real."
	She held her breath as the girl's hand touched hers, their 
fingers lacing together. Wings of angel's feathers stretched out 
from behind the long-haired blonde's back to encompass them both. No 
longer could she hold all the emotions back, and the flood of tears 
came as she heaved herself into the long-haired blonde's breasts.
	"Minako-chan," she sobbed.
	"Hai, Usagi-chan," the long-haired blonde whispered. "Cry all 
you want. I'm here for you, child. Let me comfort you...." The eyes 
of the long-haired blonde flashed of black pearl, though she was too 
lost in her crying to notice.
	A new fantasy.
	A chamber filled with the sweet smell of perfume and the 
rising steam from the heated waters of this indoor hotspring. It was 
decorated with wooden panels and gridwork, and rocks that hissed 
their own haze and steam. She lifted her head from the long-haired 
blonde's tear-stained towel, the elegant cloth wrapped around the 
girl's body just beneath the shoulders. It was damp with the 
moisture in the air, long and black with crimson hems. 
	"Where...is this place?" she asked quietly.
	She was standing waist-deep in the deliciously warm water, the 
long-haired blonde seated on the edge of the pool, legs dangling in 
the water. Her hair was still with its odango styling, though now 
the two long tails of hair had been braided and wrapped around those 
odangos to keep all her blonde hair out of the water. The long-
haired blonde's own hair was tied back with a golden bow, straight 
bangs dangling around the girl's moist face.
	"Usagi-chan," the long-haired blonde said tenderly, bringing 
her face up to look into the girl's shimmering blue eyes. "I love 
you...."
	Before she could react the long-haired blonde gently pressed 
their lips together, arms wrapping around her back and loosening the 
towel around her own body. She moaned quietly as the towel slid into 
the pool. Soaked, it began to partially sink as the currents carried 
it far from her immediate reach.
	She gave no resistance, warmly embracing the long-haired 
blonde as the tears were lost with the droplets of water from the 
steam. So vulnerable she was in that moment as she stared into her 
friend's eyes.
	"Please," she whispered. "Let me kiss you again."
	The long-haired blonde nodded and they kissed once more, 
pressing their bodies together, breasts rubbing and hands caressing. 
She was growing excited, her cheeks blushing as she stared 
helplessly into the long-haired blonde's eyes. Added to that the 
warm waters lapping at her waist, and nothing of the past could be 
recalled.
	She sucked in her breath as she felt the nimble fingers of the 
long-haired blonde tickle her skin, working their way down her chest 
and then disappearing beneath the water.
	"Minako-chan," she gasped.
	The long-haired blonde moaned as she fondled the girl's 
nipples, the moan cut short as they kissed passionately once more. 
Any tears spilled, any blood shed, any soul sacrificed for her sake 
was lost in this fantasy.
	Abruptly the waters of the hotspring bubbled in white froth, 
and rising up from the surge was a slick crystal. She only noticed 
it as she turned around to feel the long-haired blonde's breasts 
press against her back. The girl's fingers were still causing her to 
gasp as they worked with incredible ecstasy.
	Her eyes widened as this orb hovered before her, a young 
princess' face covered in long blonde hair looking back at her with 
equal surprise. The reflection was lost as the crystal illusion 
flashed.
	She was cast in a shadow of doubt, heart beating faster.
	It was a familiar tale told not so long ago....


	Abruptly she came to a stop as she spun around, finding 
herself against his chest. She gasped, startled before smiling as 
she stared up at him.
	"I would be honoured," he said to her. "if I could have this 
first dance, Usa-ko."
	She blushed. "Mamo-chan...."
	He smiled, his cloak billowing out around them both. "I love 
you, Usagi. And I will never let you go."
	There was no hesitation, no questions and no need for either. 
The two lovers drew closer and kissed once more beneath the light of 
a pale moon, droplets of rain falling down upon them. Here within 
the boundaries of Illusion, they were one in magik and love.
	"Tonight and eternity," she whispered into his ear. "I love 
you, Mamo-chan...."


	Her fingers reached up to touch her lips, his tender kiss 
invoking passionate memories. 
	Tonight and eternity.
	She whirled, pushing the long-haired blonde away. "This isn't 
right!" she stated, her anger rising in violation of her dreams. 
"Iie...you are not Minako-chan! You are not Minako-chan!!"
	She scrambled backwards, splashing frantically through the 
water until her fingers touched a soaked, discarded towel. Throwing 
the towel around her breasts, she glared at the image of the long-
haired blonde.
	Those two eyes of shimmering blue flashed black pearl. "Yare 
yare," the long-haired blonde conceded, a voice belonging to the 
Shadowqueen escaping from the girl's mouth. "It seems I 
underestimated the power of the Wanderer's crystals. But he has only 
one illusion left now."
	"You...you tricked me," she said angrily, clutching the towel 
at her breasts. 
	"You were in pain and grief," the long-haired blonde answered. 
"I only wish to let you feel the true ecstasy of beautiful dreams, a 
level of magik you have yet to achieve by yourself. So I chose a 
face from your memories and created this fantasy in the hopes that 
you would forget your sadness."
	The long-haired blonde's legs rose up from the water and 
crossed one over the other in such a majestic but seductive fashion.	
	"Karasu's illusion should have hidden me from you," she said, 
shaking her head defiantly.
	The long-haired blonde giggled demurely. "This is my realm and 
my own creation, Usagi. How long do you think you can hide in such a 
place of my own fantasy? But I created this all for you, my child. 
Every last breath of air you take is one my magik has given to you."
	A fantasy filled with a hotspring and the long-haired blonde 
faded, replaced by a new atrium adorned with tall glass windows and 
a glass dome high overhead. The Shadowqueen smiled, straightening up 
in that revealing, silken gown of sparkling night, nubile legs 
emerging from the high slip on either side of the dress.
	"I don't want your fantasies!" she shouted angrily, her high 
school uniform restored to her. "I want Mamo-chan! Give him back 
now! Give back Mamo-chan!!"
	And then she awoke.


	"Give back Mamo-chan!!"
	Those were the first words to escape from her upon jumping 
from beneath her covers, a gasp escaping her lips as she clutched 
the sheets.
	"U...sa...gi," came a muffled voice fighting for air.
	She opened her crystal blue eyes to find her hands not 
clutching the sheets but a cat. Not just any plain cat either; this 
was her companion, sharing the same bond of magik. Much like the 
white cat, this one could also talk.
	Her eyes widened as she then unceremoniously dropped the cat, 
the exasperated feline flopping down onto the bed. "Gomen, Luna!" 
she exclaimed.
	"You're sorry?" the black cat muttered. Its fur shone a dark 
blue in the sunlight dripping through the blinds. "It's a wonder I'm 
still crazy enough to try to sleep on the same bed with you."
	But she was thinking back to haunting images now fading fast 
from her mind. There had been something important in that dream, 
something she had to remember. Yet it was all forgotten now.
	"Such a strange dream," she said quietly, rubbing her temples.
	The December morning sun was already climbing into the blue 
skies, its warmth trying to penetrate the cool air outside. She 
sighed as she stared out her window, dressing up for the day in a 
white blouse with a very tight set of blue jean overalls, it straps 
clinging to her chest. At the last moment, almost forgetting, she 
snatched a golden locket from the dresser and tucked it beneath her 
blouse.
	"Isn't it a great day out today, Luna?" she asked her feline 
companion. "After all, it's a Sunday! No school!"
	"What about all that homework you were complaining about last 
night, hmmm?" the black cat inquired. "When did you plan on doing 
that?"
	She giggled, waving it aside. "Later tonight, of course!"
	The cat rolled its eyes. "Usagi, you say that every night of 
the week. It's a wonder you're passing any of your classes."
	"Don't be so mean," she pouted, crossing her arms over her 
chest. 
	"Usagi!" her mother called. "Telephone!"
	"Hai!" she exclaimed. She raced down the stairs, nearly 
trampling her younger brother in the process.
	"Watch it!" he snapped.
	"Shingo no baka!" she retorted, sticking out her tongue and 
giving him a raspberry. The phone receiver was quickly in her grasp 
shortly after. "Tsukino Usagi speaking!"
	"Usagi-chan," came a quiet voice on the other side.
	She smiled at the sound of the blue-haired genius' voice. 
"Ami-chan! You won't believe this strange dream I had, only now I 
don't remember any of it!"
	On the other side the blue-haired genius laughed. "Minako-chan 
and Mako-chan are going out on a shopping spree today, and they 
invited us to come along."
	Her eyes grew wide, and she sighed at the thought of sales and 
cute store clerks. "I love shopping! At least, I would if I had any 
money left," she lamented.
	"Daijobu, Usagi-chan," the blue-haired genius soothed. "I 
don't have any money either. We can window shop together."
	"Hai!" she exclaimed happily.
	"Do you think you can make it to the Fire River Temple for 
ten?" the blue-haired genius' voice asked.
	"Of course," she reassured her friend. "I'll be on time! Trust 
me, Ami-chan!"


	The "on time" she spoke of turned out to be ten thirty rather 
than ten. The dark-haired shrine girl was ready to chew her out, but 
the tall brunette interceded, stating how for her this was arriving 
early.
	"Mako-chan always stands up for me!" she said happily, 
latching onto the tall brunette. She failed to catch the more 
scathing side of the girl's remark, though.
	The dark-haired shrine girl sighed. "Baka."	
	And so a day among the company of friends began anew as they 
all went from storefront to storefront. Malls were toured and 
outfits were tried on. The hours were but a blur in her mind, 
memories that might one day be recalled in the fleeting glimpse of a 
later year.
	Yet there was one moment that stood out from all the others. 
It occurred as they passed a tailor shop for gentleman's suits. So 
many rows of fancy black jackets and lapels, with white dress shirts 
and collars and bows and vests. The other girls passed it by without 
so much as a second glance. She held back, pausing as one tuxedo 
stood out from all the others.
	"That suit," she whispered, placing a hand on the glass. Where 
has she seen it before? Who had once been wearing it?
	"Usagi-chan," the long-haired blonde remarked. "Tuxedos are 
for guys and Haruka to shop for. If you want to play dress up, then 
you have to dress up pretty!"
	With a laugh the long-haired blonde raised a hand in the air 
to give the V-sign. Everyone else sighed, and tried to pretend they 
weren't with the girl.
	She held close to the window for just a moment longer, fixated 
on the tuxedo. "So familiar," she mused to herself. But there was 
nothing in her memories that could match the suit to a face.
	"Usagi-chan!" the dark-haired shrine girl called out. 
	She turned and smiled, forgetting that moment of uncertainty. 
"Hai!" she exclaimed, charging up behind them and lacing hands with 
the blue-haired genius and the tall brunette.
	She saw the tall brunette's rose earring sparkle in the 
sunlight, and sighed. The rose reminded her of...reminded her of 
what? Was it something important? Was it something from her dream?
	She simply shrugged it off, laughing with her friends as they 
continued to play away the remainder of the rising evening with its 
moon and stars.
	It must have all just been a dream and nothing more.

	
	The clock was nearing the eleventh hour that night as the five 
girls parted company from the Shinto shrine, each one going their 
separate ways to places called home.
	"Usagi-chan," the blue-haired genius asked. "Will you walk me 
home?"
	She smiled and nodded, happy to be in the company of her 
friends. 
	It was a cool night out, though quite mild considering it was 
late December. Tokyo did get very cold in the winter, but this was 
strangely enough not one of those nights. The walk was not very 
short though not unnecessarily long, and together they talked of 
dreams and ambitions, the blue-haired genius shyly blushing at the 
mention of boyfriends.
	"Would you like to come in?" the girl offered once they 
reached her front door.
	She felt the warm blast of air from inside and promptly 
stepped inside to remover her coat and shoes. "Where's your mother?" 
she asked, poking her head into the kitchen. She spotted a package 
of cookies left out on the counter. "Ah! Chocolate cookies!" she 
exclaimed, pouncing upon the hapless snacks. "Itadakimasu!"
	"My mother's out of town this weekend for a conference in 
Osaka," the blue-haired genius said. "Come on, we can go to my 
room."
	She nodded in agreement, stuffing more cookies into her mouth 
and still managing to find more space between her cheeks to pack in 
at least two more.
	Up the stairs the two walked, finding the blue-haired genius' 
room and settling down on the edge of the bed. The blue-haired 
genius quietly closed the door behind them as she continued to wolf 
down the cookies.
	Abruptly she burped. "Oops. Gomen!" she giggled.
	The blue-haired genius laughed pleasantly, smiling at her with 
quite love on those ocean blue eyes, joining her at the edge of the 
bed.
	"Daijobu, Ami-chan?" she asked, swallowing the last of the 
cookies followed by a quick wipe of her mouth to get rid of any 
crumbs.
	The blue-haired genius simply continued to smile. "No, Usagi-
chan. I'm very happy."
	She swallowed nervously as the blue-haired genius got down on 
all fours, crawling across the mattress towards her. "Um, Ami-chan?"
	"Usagi-chan," the blue-haired genius said quietly.
	She gave a startled yelp as the girl licked the lobe of her 
ear. "Kyaa! Ami-chan, what are you doing?"
	The blue-haired genius leaned away from her. "Is this a new 
game you want us to play together?" the young lady asked, unsure of 
how to interpret her surprise.
	"What kind of game were you thinking of playing?" she 
exclaimed. "Ami-chan, you were licking my ears!"
	The blue-haired genius turned away, trying to hide the 
saddened tears. "You mean you really don't remember?"
	She faltered for a moment, flustered but stunned again. 
"Remember what?"
	Slowly the blue-haired genius's face was lifted to meet hers, 
their lips tantalizingly so close to each other. The blue-haired 
genius leaned forward, embracing her. The girl's mouth moved next to 
her ear to whisper but three words: "Open your locket."
	She pulled out the locket from beneath her white blouse; 
'Forever Love' was etched on the front of the gold pendant. A gasp 
escaped her lips as she opened the heart to gaze at two faces 
inside. She was one, with that same odango-style hair and a silly 
grin. The other was of the blue-haired genius, a shy smile and 
bright ocean blue eyes in the girl's expression.
	"Ami-chan," she said, trying to shake her stunned disbelief.
	"Have you forgotten that night at the hotsprings?" the blue-
haired genius whispered sweetly into her ear. "Don't you remember 
how you held me there in the steaming waters and kissed me? Have you 
forgotten what my touch feels like?"
	She was certain her face was turning new shades of rouge given 
how hot her cheeks felt by this time. The nimble fingers of the 
blue-haired genius worked their way to undo the straps of her 
overalls. She gave a nervous laugh, completely unprepared and 
uncertain of what might happen.
	Her thighs tensed as another hand found its way through her 
jeans, scratching at her panties. She was starting to breathe faster 
now, crystal blue eyes wide. Memories of this girl's face returned 
to her mind, but she could find none that made sense of this game.
	A rose.
	A tuxedo.
	What did she have to remember? Was it this girl next to her?
	"I would love you and protect you forever, child," the blue-
haired genius whispered, stroking her breasts. 
	Crystal blue eyes widened
	--protect--
	as a single memory fought through the fantasy. 
	She gasped as she lay sprawled out on the bed, a new face 
emerging in her memories. The blue-haired genius was suckling on her 
breasts, one hand starting to pull away at her damp panties. Any 
further and the memory would be lost.
	"Protect," she repeated, her fingers reaching up to touch her 
lips. "Guardian...Chiba...Mamo-chan!"
	"Daijobu, Usagi-chan?" the blue-haired genius asked, 
concerned. The movements on her body had paused in that moment, and 
she seized the chance to squirm away.
	She slapped away the hand that reached out to comfort her.
"This isn't real!" she exclaimed. "This is all a lie! I love Mamo-
chan! Mamo-chan is my beloved!"
	The blue-haired genius leaned back on the bed, chuckling 
demurely, covers half draped over the girl's body. A flash of black 
pearl overtook ocean blue eyes. As if the entire scene was made of 
glass, the bedroom shattered, this bedroom fantasy mirrored inside 
each shard that fell to the cobblestone ground.
	She was on a bridge now, one that connected two courtyards of 
the palace together over a bubbling stream below. Seated atop the 
railing, the Shadowqueen laughed again, deep golden hair billowing 
out in the wind.
	"You are ever impressing me, child," the Empress said with a 
smile. "This time you saw the fantasy through your own power. 
Perhaps just as well considering you only have one illusion left. 
Such beauty and determination in those eyes."
	"Where is he?" she demanded. "Show me Mamo-chan!"
	Eyes of shining black pearl lowered to the floor in 
submission. "As you wish, child. But do you really want to see his 
beautiful dream?" the Shadowqueen asked, concern creeping into the 
woman's voice. "I have hidden your prince from you because I do not 
wish for you to feel such pain. Already you have suffered so much. 
Why feel one more twist of the knife?"
	"Let me see Mamo-chan," she stated coldly, losing much of her 
patience. She was being pushed too far with this deception, and 
wanted it all to simply end.
	"Turn around, Usagi-chan," the Empress said.
	It began to rain cherry blossoms once more.
	She turned, her heart beating rapidly inside her chest as a 
new chamber opened up, a young man rising up from beneath the covers 
of a bed. "Mamo-chan," she whispered.
	There was her dark-haired prince.
	She smiled, her soul rising within her chest as she raced into 
the room. But her footsteps came to an abrupt halt as another girl 
rose up from behind the dark-haired prince, arms wrapping around the 
young man's chest. The dark-haired prince's head titled forward, and 
the two on the bed shared a passionate kiss, breaking only to gasp 
for air. The girl's long dark hair seemed to shimmer in the pale 
light.
	She gasped, her stomach twisted and making her feel sick. 
	"Mamo-chan," she whispered, clasping her palm over her mouth, 
the tears streaming down. "Rei-chan. Why?"
	What was the meaning of this...betrayal?
	"Usa-ko," the dark-haired prince said, taken aback and 
straightening up in noticing her presence. "What are you doing 
here?"
	"I...I came here to find you," she stammered. "What are you 
doing?"
	The prince glanced over to the dark-haired shrine girl. "Gomen 
ne, Usa-ko. I'm sorry it had to come to this. I felt it best you 
didn't know."
	"Ever since we first began dating for that brief period," the 
dark-haired shrine girl said, warmly nuzzling against the prince's 
back. "I have always been the one he truly loved. You were bound by 
destiny, but this is his dream, and in it I am his beloved."
	There was a coy smirk about the dark-haired shrine girl, as if 
the girl was taunting her. They had always fought before in the 
past, but never like this. Never like this.
	"Liar!" she cried out. "Liar! LIAR!!"
	"Gomen, Usa-ko," the dark-haired prince said one last time, 
returning to the dark-haired shrine girl for a passionate kiss.
	She turned away, more tears squeezed out from the pain of two 
sealed eyes. "Take me away from this place," she said quietly. "Take 
me away from this dream."
	"If it is any comfort to you," the Empress said softly. "that 
was not the true form of the girl you called Rei-chan; she is merely 
a construct of his dream."
	"It can't be," she said, still in shock. "Mamo-chan loves me. 
He would never do something like this."
	The chambers dissolved into night, and the night became a long 
corridor of cobblestone that overlooked a garden of flowers and 
plants below. Had she once cried in that garden?
	"Love is a fragile thing, Usagi-chan," the Shadowqueen said, 
resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "And with it comes delicate 
hearts. Now do you see why I wanted to hide this from you?"
	No more could she tell what was real or fantasy. But could she 
doubt her senses, or her love? Was he really in love with the dark-
haired shrine girl? Her head was lowered, the tears starting to 
spill again. How many times tonight had she cried? Everything was 
falling apart, her entire life unraveling before her very eyes. 
	"Can I at least see the others?" she asked, her voice barely 
even managing to become a whisper.
	"Lift your head, child," the Empress' voice said.
	She stared up at a young girl not any older or younger than 
herself, a girl with long blonde hair done up odango-style with two 
long tails on either side of her head. Tear-filled eyes of crystal 
blue were trembling as this girl reached out a hand and touched the 
glass surface. For a moment she believed she could clasp hands with 
her reflection.
	A wave of light moved down the mirror, washing away her 
reflection. The real dark-haired shrine girl was sleeping alongside 
the shrine protege, naked beneath the covers of a futon. All around 
the candles had shadows dance around the room of the shrine 
building....
	Another mirror opened up.
	Her hands touched the surface, glass rippling like water as on 
the other side the masquerade wraith and the blue-haired genius were 
dancing behind facades and gowns, laughing amidst a twirling parade 
of masks.... 
	Laying down in the lap of the raven angel, the tall brunette 
listened to what must have been moving poetry. She noticed a golden 
band around the tall brunette's finger as it caught the light of the 
moon....
	In the company of clouds and dragon's fire the raven knight 
and the long-haired blonde stood atop the back of an enormous 
dragon, its beating wings all around them. The long-haired blonde 
was screaming excitedly in the cool air as the raven knight stayed 
behind the girl to keep them both balanced. The little sandy-
coloured dragon was not among their envoy....
	"Suna-chan," she whispered. Would the lesser dragon ever be in 
their company again? And it was all because of her.
	To the thundering sound of Silvermane hooves, the tall, sandy-
blonde and the aqua-haired woman rode through the fields as if they 
were storms in the sky. While the sandy-blonde pushed the determined 
steed as hard as possible, the aqua-haired one held a more majestic 
aura in riding....
	She lowered her head, wondering if all was over, if the dreams 
had ended. But them her eyes gazed into the mirror one last time as 
a child she knew to be hers one day appeared. The young girl was 
smiling and dancing through crystal corridors with a handsome young 
man once a Pegasus in the girl's beautiful dream....
	"Chibiusa!" she exclaimed, pushing against the glass.
	What was the Tsukino child doing here in the Dreamworld?
	But as she looked at the DreamMaster, the more she understood. 
Then the Tsukino child had come back to be with a soulmate. Everyone 
was here in the Dreamworld with their soulmate. Everyone had their 
own beloved, and she was here, alone. 
	Betrayed.
	Rejected.
	They appeared in a throne room for the Empress, one with a 
raised dais where an elegantly carved chair of black pearl awaited 
at the top of curving stairs. All around was cobblestone and 
enchanted lanterns that gave the chamber a comforting glow. High 
overhead there was a circular glass window revealing the crescent 
moon.
	"There is no one else left," the Shadowqueen said softly into 
her ear. "They have their own lovers, their special soulmate to 
dance with until eternity itself finds a way to end. You have been 
left behind, Usagi." 
	"It can't be," she whispered, a trembling hand covering her 
mouth. "This must be a lie."
	The Empress lifted her face, and she could only stare in 
surprise as the woman's eyes began to pour out tears. "Can you not 
see how they abandoned you?" the Shadowqueen cried, wrapping her 
tightly in an embrace, and sitting back into the throne of shadows. 
	But was it true? They all cared about her, didn't they? But, 
then where were they now, right when she needed them the most?
	She held her breath as the Shadowqueen's lips touched hers. It 
was but a brief, tender kiss shared between them, yet it stirred 
within her emotions that exploded inside herself. She surrendered to 
the Empress' touch, her own arms embracing this elegant young woman 
as she began to sob.
	"My Empress," she cried, finding comfort from the warmth of 
the Shadowqueen's skin. Such a warmth, one that made her entire body 
tingle as if she was experiencing love all over again. After all 
this, the magik was flooding into her body.
	She felt her Empress' fingers wipe away her tears. "I love 
you, Usagi-chan. Please love me too, and let your beautiful dreams 
become mine."
	She nodded, burying her face into the Shadowqueen's breasts. 
Who else was left for her?
	What else did she have to return to?
	"Mother! I've returned!"
	Her eyes widened; whose voice had called out amidst her 
sorrow? She turned her head to see a young man standing before a 
starry midnight sky, surrounded by ruins of what must have been a 
once rich and beautiful world.
	Something in her heart seemed to arise, awakened by distant 
memories. "Silver...Millennium," she whispered. 
	This was the remains of the Moon Palace. 
	The young man was oblivious to her as one is to a ghost of the 
past, leaping over fallen pillars and sifting through some of the 
rubble. "Anyone?" the young man asked, his voice echoing across the 
harsh silence of the night. "Can anyone answer me?" 
	Picking up a scrap of stone, he tossed it into a puddle of 
murky water. "This can't be the palace, could it? Could Okami-san 
have been wrong? Have I been gone this long?"
	For a long time he stopped to stare at the midnight skies 
overhead. Nothing was said, and she was unsure if he would hear her 
even if she spoke. The winds were a low howl, tugging at his royal 
robes and flowing silver cloak.
	"No bodies," he mused, running a hand through his shining 
blonde hair. "No blood. No weapons of war. Just ruins where home 
once was. This makes no sense; what the hell could have happened?"
	She seemed to hover over him in the air as he worked his way 
towards a sea that once knew serenity, but was now just an empty 
hole, a gaping maw of grey and lifeless stone. The closer he reached 
the crater's edge, the worse the devastation. And with each step, 
the more frantic he spoke aloud words to delude himself.
	Yet delusions only work as far as one allows them to, and his 
were dying before they could even be given birth. "This must be a 
hallucination," he said quietly, summoning a familiar sword from the 
palm of his hand. "This can't be what I think it is. Everyone will 
be waiting for me over the next hill. It's some big surprise party. 
It just has to be!"
	He reached the next hill.
	And he saw the ethereal body of the Moon Queen, dressed in 
flowing white robes and wings of faery gossamer. The Queen was in an 
eternal sleep, beautiful and at peace, resting upon a slab of silver 
stone. But this was one sleep that no kiss could ever wake the Queen 
from.
	All composure was lost, as was the grip on his sword. His 
entire body shook as the weapon clattered down into the rubble, the 
young man slowly making his way towards his Queen. A hesitant touch 
to the woman's cheek confirmed his worst fears. 
	Then came the anguished howl of worlds and paradises lost. 
"IIE!" he screamed, dropping to his knees before the fallen Queen. 
"SERENITY!!"
	His voice was lost thereafter in the stunned horror presented 
before him. Carefully he cradled the Queen in his arms. "This can't 
be," he whispered hoarsely. "What in the hell happened here? Can't 
someone tell me what happened her...?"	
	Sealed and clenched, his eyes still bled tears. 
	He turned to her, opening his crystal blue eyes to stare 
directly at her. In tormented rage he challenged her. "Why did I 
even come back?!" he demanded angrily. "What did I have to return 
to?!"
	Suddenly a fiery light erupted from the ground, rising up in a 
ring of flames to encircle the young man. Now the royal robes were 
gone, replaced with a strangely familiar black suit jacket and 
pants, white dress shirt and thin black tie. A pair of shades were 
over his blue eyes as his long blonde hair rustled in the winds.
	"What is left here for me?" he asked again, his voice stronger 
in finding an answer. A beam of moonlight caught his shades, and 
flashing before her were realms never before seen by her young eyes. 
Of a thousand kingdoms, of a thousand dreamers lost and found.
	One final image appeared in the reflection: an odango-haired 
blonde and a dark-haired prince dancing together beneath gently 
falling rain, so much in love and in sharing laughter together. 
	"Mamo-chan," she whispered.
	The beating of her heart hammered between her breasts, a 
glowing light brightening her skin to a pale white.
	A new place, a new dream within a dream.
	There was a glass cage, inside a deep blue water that expelled 
thick streams of bubbles which leisurely floated to the ceiling. And 
trapped within the center of this pool was her dark-haired prince.
	"Where is Usagi?" the dark-haired prince shouted, pounding 
furiously on the glass. "Damn you, what have you done to her?!"
	Standing at the base of the stairs leading up to the glass 
display was the Shadowqueen, never any different than what the 
Empress had seemed before.
	"It is rather unwise to use up your energy so easily," the 
Shadowqueen said, a dark smile tugging at the woman's lips. "Your 
beloved princess will never be in any danger so long as she is in my 
arms, her magik becoming mine. Call out her name all you want, 
Endymion; she'll soon forget all about you."
	"Usagi!" the prince shouted, throwing himself into the glass 
but to no avail. "USAGI!!"
	She lifted her head from the Shadowqueen's breasts as, with 
that final cry of her name, the fantasy shattered. She pushed back 
from the Shadowqueen, her eyes burning with righteous anger.
	"You lied to me!" she shouted. "This is not my dream! This is 
your nightmare! And I will not be deceived any more!"
	Suddenly her body convulsed as the final illusion emerged from 
her chest, the crystal disappearing in a ball of light that swiftly 
wove its way out the nearest window. 
	Exhausted from her ordeal, she dropped to her knees. 
	Then to her surprise, a set of helping hands lifted her back 
onto her feet, supporting her. Yet no one was beside her; it was but 
an illusion. Slowly she turned her crystal blue eyes to the base of 
the stairs and saw another pair of crystal blue eyes staring back.
	"Komban wa, Usagi-chan," the young man said, shining blonde 
hair dancing around his face. "Did you miss me?"
	She couldn't say a word as stared at the Wanderer. Instead her 
emotions caused her to leap into him, embracing a friend she thought 
was gone forever. "Karasu!" she exclaimed, racing down the stairs.
	"I thought I sealed you off permanently, Karasu," the  
Shadowqueen sourly remarked. "However, I see you are still alive and 
in as solid a form as your illusions can create."
	He grinned wickedly. "I've been here all along, your Highness. 
You just sealed off one of my poor, hapless illusions. Now as you 
can see, I'm back and so is my magik."
	"I have been patient with you for a long time, Karasu," the 
Shadowqueen stated; rising from the throne. "But now my patience is 
wearing thin, and I fear my pleasant disposition will end very 
soon."
	Without waiting for a response, there was a snap of the 
Empress' fingers. A thick cloud of dark mist pulsated out from 
behind the throne, the mists beginning to swarm and close together 
to create form and essence.
	The creation was that of a serpynt.
	The Empress turned to the Wanderer. "I can still use my own 
dark magik to overpower your illusions and make you suffer. Ghost or 
no ghost, you can be killed."
	He smirked. "Death is a rather trivial thing to me, Empress. 
I'd like to see you try it."
	"Suna-chan," the Shadowqueen instructed. "Do not harm the 
child, but tear the Wanderer to shreds. Prove your loyalty to me by 
ripping out his still-beating heart." 
	Its immense demon wings beating in the air, the serpynt let 
out a horrific screech and lunged for the Wanderer, claws and teeth 
gleaming in the pale light as it spewed forth fire.
	"Bakaiyaro!" he snapped, launching a volley of crystals. "You 
can't fool me with the same trick twice!"
	The serpynt beast howled as the orbs flashed to become an 
electric storm that stung the immense creature until its howls 
became silenced. The serpynt's body crashed to the ground, knocking 
through a portion of the stone walls.
	"Suna-chan!" she called out. But the serpynt merely gave a 
weakened grunt before losing consciousness, its chest heaving with 
labored breaths.
	"You are getting better after all," the Shadowqueen remarked. 
"I don't think you've ever truly managed to defeat a serpynt without 
killing it first. But I fear you cannot win against my power, 
Wanderer."
	He shook his head. "Either I go all the way, or I die trying."
	"An acceptable offer," the Empress answered solemnly, raising 
a hand that was alive with crackling magik. 
	He met the challenge, letting the Arashi's blade glow and 
summon its own magik. Both powers were creating massive fields, each 
one sending down a shower of sparks when magik struck against magik.
	She held her breath; these two were ready to kill each other 
unless she intervened somehow. But was Karasu right? Did she really 
know enough of this realm to help?
	"Do you really want this to go on?" the Shadowqueen abruptly 
asked her. The blak magik never ceased, the Empress strolling down 
the stairs without making a visible effort to attack the Wanderer's 
magik. "Are you willing for more to suffer like this? Just surrender 
your magik to me and all your pain will be taken away. He will not 
be harmed if you give yourself to me." 
	And suddenly the elusive answer to everything came clear from 
mists of confusion and second doubts. All the deceit and betrayal, 
all the tears and laughter, all the dreams that found life inside 
this realm...she realized just what its true magik was.
	"I believe in what I'm fighting for," she answered. "You 
cannot steal the love we have and twist it into darkness. You hurt 
Suna-chan. You tried to kill Karasu. You have plagued all our dreams 
with nightmares. I will never forgive you for what you have done!"
 	The Empress' eyes narrowed, blak magik starting to crackle 
around the woman's form. "So be it," the Queen hissed. "I loved you, 
Usagi. I cared for you, protected you, and this is how you repay 
me?"
	"I believe in love!" she shouted. "And you have stolen it from 
me! Give me back Mamo-chan!!"
	Suddenly there was the Wanderer standing between them. "Get 
the hell away from her," he snarled at the Shadowqueen. "You touch 
my sister again, you bitch, and nothing in either world will be able 
to stop me from destroying you!"
	All her concentration faltered in that moment, a shocked look 
across her face as she stared at the Wanderer. All from one word: 
sister. But then that would make him her...her brother, her older 
brother.
	Siblings?
	The Shadowqueen laughed. "Tenacious even to the end, Karasu. 
But tenacity will only take you so far."
	"Really?" Karasu retorted, tightly gripping the Arashi. "I 
still have a few tricks up my sleeve...LIKE THIS!"
	He ripped the shades from off his face, crystal blue eyes wide 
in rampant ferocity. All his shining blonde hair danced wildly 
around his face as gales rose up inside the throne room. The force 
was enough for the billows of winds to be seen as waves of misty 
grey.
	A battle aura unlike any other erupted from his body, tearing 
the jacket and shirt and tie from him, the scraps of fabric 
incinerated upon leaving his skin. The blast send her sprawling 
backwards onto the floor with a startled yelp. Even the Shadowqueen 
backed away as an aura of hidden magik unfolded before them both.
	"Karasu," she whispered.
	The mark of the lost soul upon his back flickered, the rune 
strokes erupting into beams of searing white light. And as they 
faded, a new marking appeared on the Wanderer's body, one that had 
for so long been sealed off when soul and body had been separated. 
	Upon his forehead a crescent moon exploded into being.
	The mark of the royal family.
	Quickly the rampant magik flickered and died out, the mark of 
a ghost gone but the crescent moon still shining upon his forehead. 
He turned his head, smiling as he stared down at her.
	"M-masaka," she stammered.
	A hundred questions were raging through her mind. Why did she 
never know? Why hadn't he told her about their bond by blood? So 
many questions!
	"They were hoping for a girl," he admitted. "The true magik of 
the Eternal Moon is passed on through the ladies of the royal 
family. You can't imagine how disappointed I was to discover that I 
was a guy."
	With a shout of invocation, the Shadowqueen threw up a scourge 
of blak magik against them. The Wanderer flung a series of crystals 
into the air, each one sending out a beam of sparkling golden light 
to form a netting that held back the Empress' onslaught.
	Sweat was starting to trickle down his face and chest. "I 
can't hold this for long," he told her. "If you have a plan, I'm 
open to suggestions right now."
	She nodded, closing her eyes and focusing her own powers.
	There was a way.
	"Please," she whispered, sending out her plea into the forever 
night of the Dreamworld. "Minna, give me your powers. Help me fight 
against this evil." 
	There was no guarantee that she could reach anyone, but she 
still had to try. Her high school uniform rippled in the winds, 
morphing into a silken white gown. From her back, two enormous 
angel's wings unfolded to send up a storm of white down. Arms 
stretched out before her, she summoned the ultimate magik she knew.
	The Silver Crystal appeared in her palms.
	She had become the Princess of the Silver Moon once more.
	He whirled as he felt her own magik ripple across the Empress' 
castle. "Usagi, what are you doing?!" he snapped. "The other Senshi 
are sealed off from us; you don't have enough power to survive the 
crystal's magik. That's what killed our mother!"
	"She did this in the hopes we would find sanctuary once 
again," she said quietly, the rages of the battle lost from her 
hearing. A strange calm filled her, an acceptance of what was to 
come.
	"I will protect you, Karasu," she whispered. "by sealing her 
within this palace forever. Suna-chan, Mamoru, everyone...you will 
all be safe once more."
	He winced as the Shadowqueen's attack broke a crystal orb, a 
stray bolt of blak magik smashing into the floor right beside him. 
"And what if that fails? If the crystal cracks and you die, I would 
never forgive myself!"
	He focus returned to the Shadowqueen, but his words were still 
for her. "Usagi, your magik is not of the Dreamworld. The 
Shadowqueen's magik is not of Earth. You don't deserve this; get out 
and let me take care of this!"
	"You have already suffered so much for me," she answered. 
	Another crystal orb shattered, another bolt of dark energy 
grinding cobblestone into dust.
	"Usagi-chan," he said softly, his voice reaching out to her 
though his lips were still. "I have been a ghost almost all my life, 
and during that time I demanded answers as to why I was still here. 
But I found a reason to carry on, and that was in seeing the love 
you and your friends share."
	She opened her mouth to speak but a voice was lost to any 
words she had to say. The Wanderer's face remained expressionless as 
he fought against the Shadowqueen to buy them both more time. She 
began summoning the magik of the eternal moon into the Silver 
Crystal, the gemstone glittering amidst all the flashing lights.
 	"You will make it out, Karasu," she stated. 
	A whole row of illusions shattered, a wave of blak energy 
crushing the ground before them. The Wanderer leaped back, silencing 
the attacking magik with a blow from the Arashi. "Kuso," he hissed.
	There was nothing more he could do to stop the Shadowqueen.
	"Shin'ne!" the Shadowqueen hissed, raking a hand down to the 
floor. Streaks of scarlet red tore through the air, racing towards 
him. He gripped the Arashi, preparing for his last stand. His last 
prayer was that this final sacrifice would buy her enough time to 
escape with her dark-haired prince.
	Suddenly the attack against him was deflected by the growing 
power of the Silver Crystal. He whirled, staring at her in disbelief 
as the Silver Crystal glowed fiercer, its purifying light starting 
to engulf the throne room.
	"Usagi!" he shouted over the growing tempests. "What are you 
doing?!"
	She smiled despite all the emotions churning within her heart. 
So slow to discover family, so quick to discover that no other words 
could be said. But he deserved another chance at a life denied to 
him. "Sayonara, onii-san."
	Princess Serenity closed her eyes, bracing herself. She could 
feel the full power of the eternal moon channeling into her body. 
High overhead, beyond the castle and beyond its windows, the 
crescent moon in the midnight sky shone and became a full moon, 
brilliant and white. The shadows were driven back as its sparkling 
light erupted across the heavens.
	The Empress' palace shuddered violently as it was violated by 
this Earthworld magik. The borders of the dark kingdom were torn 
apart by the white light as it burst through water and dirt and 
trees. Pillars of light shot into the sky, converging upon the full 
moon high overhead.
	The seal was being laid.
	She winced as a numbing pain started to flow through her body; 
she was losing strength. Every last drop of magik within her was 
being sucked out and gathered within the Silver Crystal. Alone like 
this, she knew the final outcome. She would die, and the others 
would be saved.
	It was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
	For her family. For her friends.
	For her love.
	The Empress looked up to the midnight sky that was now burning 
as bright as noonday. "So beautiful," she whispered, entranced by 
this sight. "And yet it saddens me to know that you will not live to 
see this, my child."
	The Shadowqueen's blak magik exploded from the woman's body, 
sweeping across the throne room. She cried out as the force smashed 
against her body, yet she clung to the Silver Crystal. The seal was 
not completed. She could not let it end like this.
	Yet her energy was waning.
	If the Empress continued to attack her like this--
	Her crystal blue eyes widened as with a horrific sound, the 
crystal in her hands cracked, a jagged streak shearing down its 
side. She let out a strangled cry as she fought to keep her magik 
alive; everything was starting to grow distant. She was dying.
	And then with a loud shout the Wanderer pushed the blade of 
his Stormsword into the ground. A ring of crystals appeared around 
his body, each one glowing to reveal a Dreamworld rune painted in 
black. Seven seals, seven magiks, seven furies: all were his.
	"Iie," he said, his voice lost within the howls of raging 
magiks and trembling earth. "The crystal won't crack, Usagi-chan. I 
refuse to let it end like this. As long as I can remember, I have 
been a lone warrior existing to preserve life. Let me do this now. 
Let me protect you."
	His own powers were summoned in between the two warring 
magiks, the runes of the Dreamworld turning from black to crimson. 
Beams of scarlet light shot out from the crystals, forming a chain 
that encircled him within. And upon the cobblestone floor a new rune 
flickered into being.
	It was the mark of the lost souls.
	Across the throne room, she could feel the last of her 
strength giving way as another crack caused the Silver Crystal to 
send her body a wave of agonizing pain. She was slipping away; 
the Shadowqueen was too powerful for her to seal off.
	Suddenly the power of the Silver Crystal shifted hosts, the 
pain leaving her body as the crystal's full force of magik smashed 
into the Wanderer's back. The rune of the lost soul pulled even more 
of the Silver Crystal's magik into his body.
	She was still harnessing it's power to activate the seal, but 
now he had become the one to finish it. "Someone who's found true 
love deserves a better fate than this," he whispered. "Live to dream 
once more with your prince, Usagi. My essence shall absorb the shock 
when the crystal finally shatters."
	Arms outstretched to the glowing heavens, he pushed back the 
incredible pain as the bright power of the Silver Crystal was pulled 
into his body. The Arashi exploded, the blade shattering with a 
column of furious sparks. 
	The seven crystal illusions bearing the Dreamworld runes were 
blown apart in showers of sparks and glass shards that soared all 
around him. Beneath the Wanderer's feet, the rune of the lost soul 
was flashing violently as the ground broke apart and collapsed.
	The Empress' castle beyond the Sea of Night was now being 
swallowed up by the light of day. The full moon overhead blended 
with the light of the heavens. It was time to place the seal upon 
this kingdom.
	He smiled, closing his eyes in that final moment.
	And she heard his voice one last time before it was lost 
within the raging magik. "I won't disappoint, Usagi-chan. 
Sayonara...."
	With an explosive flash the Silver Crystal's power erupted. A 
surge of magik unlike any other witnessed climaxed, tearing through 
the Empress' castle and echoing across the entire Dreamworld. The 
entire foundation of the realm shook violently.
	And then control over the crystal's rampaging magik was lost. 
She gasped as there was a cold chill that swept through the halls of 
the castle beyond the Sea of Night. There was the sound of a 
gemstone shattering, and then all was swallowed up by a veil of 
darkness that fell across the entire room. Only a faint echo of 
glass shards striking cobblestone was heard, it too dying into 
silence.
	Light was reborn, the candles and glowing aura of the throne 
room sparking back to life. She could see once more, and yet some 
things unable to see.
	He was gone.
	"Karasu?" she whispered, collapsing to her knees as exhaustion 
washed over her.
	Suddenly light flashed off the Arashi as it spun into the 
floor, the broken blade sinking into the cobblestones. The weapon 
grew very still without its master.
	"My child...."
	She gasped, recoiling.
	The Shadowqueen stood there before her, alive. Though now from 
an unseen wound blood was trickling in small rivers down the side of 
the woman's face, dripping onto the floor.
	With a laugh the Empress trailed a finger through the blood, 
and then licked the finger clean. "You managed to cut me, Usagi-
chan," the Queen remarked. "I am impressed."
	She trembled, looking around for another hope. The Wanderer 
was gone, her own magik exhausted. Yet the Shadowqueen seemed to 
have merely been slowed down by their efforts to seal this place 
away.
	Had they failed?
	Had the Wanderer sacrificed himself for nothing?
	And then came the sound amidst the sweeping winds in the 
aftermath of magik. Something was bouncing across the cobblestone, a 
distinct sound made every time it struck stone, as if glass was 
being tapped.
	She turned, watching in silence as a single crystal orb 
entered the throne room. 
	"Illusion?" the Empress wondered aloud.
	But she was oblivious to the Shadowqueen, looking at the 
solitary crystal as it bounced across the cobblestone and into her 
outstretched palms.
	One final wish.
	One last illusion.
	She closed her eyes, bringing the sphere close to her body and 
finding one last memory of the Wanderer, her brother. A tear forged 
its way down her pale cheek, pausing at her chin before falling onto 
the crystal.
	And then magik exploded from the crystal, the orb disappearing 
in a pillar of light, floating up and sparkling. This pillar of 
light punctured the barrier of darkness enclosing the kingdom beyond 
the Sea of Night, sending up a beam that all could see from across 
the vast kingdoms of the Dreamworld.
	Even with her eyes closed, clutching the crystal to her heart, 
she could witness everything. She saw identical pillars of light 
arise from all corners and kingdoms of this realm, some numerous in 
one domain and some but a single one. Shadow kingdoms were even 
caught beneath the rays of this sparkling pale glow. Within each 
shaft a crystal hovered into the air, sparkling like a midnight 
star.
	And somewhere out there, kept within a crystal Citadel, the 
Golden Crystal of the DreamMaster erupted into a beam of tremendous 
light, sending out a cascade of sparks as numerous as the stars in 
the midnight sky. These sparks flew and then fell like gentle rain 
upon all the kingdoms within the boundaries of the Dreamworld. Not a 
single one was left untouched.
	She was lost in the warmth of this pale light, her heart 
burning up inside her chest. And then she became lost in the sounds 
of another life.


	Crying.
	It was the sound of crying, of new life entering the world.
	"It's a boy," the midwife said. "A beautiful boy."
	The baby child was brought to his mother, a Queen bearing the 
mark of a crescent moon upon her forehead. She cradled the child in 
her arms, staring down at him with all the love a mother could give.
	Laying together beneath white silken sheets on a bed adorned 
with the pattern of roses, mother and son stared at each other for 
the first time. Pale blue eyes were wide in looking up at her as he 
squirmed around in her arms.
	"Such a cute little boy," she sighed, smiling through the 
exhaustion of labour. "And very energetic. But now he needs a name. 
What should we call such a precious soul?"
	She looked up at a tall woman whose real age could only be 
glimpsed through magenta eyes. An ancient warrior of Pluto, the time 
guardress was on hand to witness the birth of the first and last 
Silver Moon Prince.
	The time guardress smiled, fingers gently tracing the baby's 
cheeks. "How about Karasu?"
	The Queen looked down at the lively child in her arms. 
"Karasu? Karasu...that's a beautiful name, Setsuna. What made you 
think of that?"
	The time guardress glanced at the stars in the nearby window. 
"A future memory, my Queen."
	The Queen kissed the baby's forehead. "Karasu, my son...."


	Time moved quickly with memories as years and events were 
passed over simply because they were taken for granted. First words, 
first steps, first signs of magik: as the watching ghost, the 
odango-haired blonde missed all of that.
	Time had indeed moved quickly.
	He was a seven year-old boy now, shining blond hair dangling 
around his shoulders and wildly flowing around his head. Still 
appearing somewhat girlish, he had yet to gain the broader 
shoulders, slender face and more defined chest that he bore as the 
Wanderer.
	This was a moment in time where he returned to a familiar bed 
with white silken sheets, adorned with the pattern of roses.
	"Karasu-chan," the Queen said, gently cradling a little girl 
in her arms. "You're a brother now."
	He stared down at the tiny child, tilting his head as the 
newborn baby slept soundly in her mother's embrace. A trembling, 
excited hand reached out to stroke the princess' forehead.
	"Can I hold her?" he asked.
	The Queen shook her head. "Not yet, but very soon." She gently 
roused the baby. "Serenity, look; you have a visitor."
	Tiny but wide eyes opened up to stare at the small giant. 
Crystal blue eyes to match his looked up with wonder and innocence. 
The baby girl then smiled, giggling.
	"Ah!" he exclaimed. "Kawaii!" He held out his index finger, 
the princess' tiny hand tightly wrapping around it. "Good grip," he 
remarked.
	The Queen smiled as the two siblings learned how to play with 
each other. "My little child, Serenity," she whispered. "I can feel 
the magik within you....."

	
	The young boy had become ten: a little taller, a little wiser.
	His sister was now three, and learning how to be innocent with 
imagination and laughter--though not above playing pranks and 
throwing a few crying fits. And on those occasions where her 
emotions got the better of her, the crescent moon upon her forehead 
exploded in magik, unleashing a pillar of light that could be seen 
by all close to the royal palace.
	Many times afterwards the princess would exhaust herself and 
simply lay down wherever she was for a nap--much to the relief of 
those in the palace after receiving such a scare.
	"She can be so loud sometimes," he remarked, walking with his 
mother as she carried the little girl. "Does she always do that 
funny lightening thing when she gets upset?"
	His mother nodded. "It can be quite stressful at times, but 
thankfully she's starting to grow out of it."
	They reached the princess' room, where the Queen laid the 
little girl down upon the large bed. The child smiled in her sleep, 
curling up around the pillows. Their mother smiled quietly in 
watching the princess dream.
	"What power is that?" he asked, sitting himself down next to 
his mother at the edge of the bed. "I don't ever remember creating 
light like that when I cried."
	The Queen brushed some of his blonde bangs away from his face. 
"It is the magik of the Eternal Moon, Karasu. A power that flows in 
my body, and the body of little Serenity. It is one of the oldest 
magiks known to our world, one that helps us keep this solar system 
so peaceful."
	"Can I have that power too, mommy?" the boy asked.
	His mother shook her head. "Gomen ne, Karasu, but the magik of 
the Eternal Moon is only passed on through the generations by the 
blood of the females in our family."
	For a moment jealousy appeared in his blue eyes as he shot a 
dirty look at the sleeping child. "Then what does that make me?" the 
boy asked.
	The Queen smiled. "A warrior. One who will fight and protect 
the princess, your little sister. You have a unique brand of magik 
within yourself, Karasu. All you need to do now is discover what 
that magik is."
	The boy looked back down at the young princess and smiled. "A 
warrior," he said, nodding in approval. 


	"What is the Dreamworld?" the young boy asked one night, 
staring out his mother's chamber window. Few might have guessed he 
was indeed twelve by his form.
	The Queen turned, giving her son a curious expression. "Where 
did you hear of that place? It is not among the books in our 
archives."
	He continued to look out at the sparkling courtyards with 
their fountains, and beyond them the waves of the Sea of Serenity. 
"An angel whispered it to me last night when I was dreaming," he 
answered, opening up his palm. A draft swept through the chambers, 
carrying into the air raven's down and feathers.
	His mother watched the feathers dance in the air. "You have 
indeed been to the Dreamworld," she said. "That is a realm with its 
own magik, existing where there are dreamers. The beauty inside its 
kingdoms far surpass any here in our world."
	"I want to see it again," he said, convinced himself now 
trying to convince her. "I'm going to see it right now."
	"Don't be so impatient, Karasu," his mother chided. "The magik 
calls out to the dreamers and not the other way around. You must 
first sleep before seeing that realm again."
	Reluctantly he backed down, compliant to his mother's wishes. 
Years of etiquette were very soon to be replaced with training of a 
different nature. This was the last night he would spend with his 
family in the royal palace for a long time.
	With the passing of another dream, he would journey to a place 
hidden on the dark side of the moon. There the warrior would take 
form through magik and illusion. And even though he was afraid to 
leave the safety of a palace he had grown up within all his life, 
there was an excitement that could barely restrain him from leaving 
that very minute.
	This was his chance to prove himself. But how could he when a 
whole other realm far surpassed in an hour anything he could even 
hope to achieve in ten lifetimes?
	"What does it all mean?" he asked. "What is this world beyond 
ours?"
	"It is but one of many realms seeking the peace we have worked 
hard to achieve," the Queen answered. "Karasu, do not pursue it's 
magik any further. The powers of the Dreamworld do not bend for 
anyone, not even me. If you let the magik come to you, then your 
dreams will be all the more beautiful."
	But he did not truly understand. Nor would he ever grasp the 
Queen's words until the line drawn by different breeds of magik was 
crossed.


	It was upon the aquatic planet of Mercury that mother and son 
met once again. Time moved swiftly here through memories lost and 
forgotten, with it passing by five years. A royal ball was soon to 
begin, the nobles of every planet assembling together to celebrate.
	The Queen of the Silver Moon glanced back as she heard a 
familiar voice whisper through the winds in the corridor.
	"Mother...."
	She looked from one end to the next, making certain she was 
alone and not someone playing a trick upon her. Yet there was no one 
else--or was there?
	Then appeared the illusionist.
	"Mother," he said, appearing from behind a wall of 
invisibility, dressed in flowing robes that reflected a starless 
night. "I have returned."
	For the single beating of her heart she stood there, surprised 
to see her son standing before her. And then she embraced him, 
warmly kissing his cheek in greeting.
	"Look at you," the Queen said, beaming with pride. "You've 
grown up, Karasu. No longer the little prince but a handsome young 
warrior."
	"More than just becoming a cute guy," he added. "I've become a 
master of illusion."
	She smiled. "I heard. The sensei was most pleased that you 
mastered your magik in such a short time. But are you that willing 
to relinquish your royal name?"
	Kageno Karasu.
	No longer of the moonlight, but of the shadows.
	He glanced out through one of the windows at the moonlit 
night. "Please don't be insulted, but I think it's better this way. 
After all the training I've gone through, I don't think I could 
handle attending court and playing nobleman."
	A mischievous smile crossed his face as they began to walk 
down the corridor. "Or is little Serenity giving you so much trouble 
that you need my help?"
	"Daijobu," she reassured him. "The princess will one day make 
a fine queen of the Silver Moon. I just hope you're there to keep 
her out of trouble."
	"Does the princess know I'm here?" he asked, glancing down the 
hallway. "This place is a maze; worse than those ruins on the moon 
of Deimos."
	The Queen shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Because of your 
training, we've never known where or when you might appear. But I 
think she would be thrilled to see her big brother again."
	"How is she?" he inquired.
	"She's ten and full of energy," his mother answered. "You 
should have seen her act up at the royal ball with a few of her 
princess friends last year. They set off the balloons an hour before 
we were to drop them in the ballroom."
	He stifled a laugh. "Hai hai, that sounds like little 
Serenity. I hope you weren't too harsh on them."
	She smiled. "After the stunt you pulled when you were her age? 
No, compared to what you did at the Venus formal dance, this is 
nothing to get excited about."
	"Please don't remind me about the Venus formal dance," he 
said, wincing. "I'm still trying to live that down even with my 
sensei."
	They glanced down the corridor as a chorus of giggles echoed 
across the way. Five young children raced through one of the 
intersecting hallways, led by a young princess with blonde, odango-
style hair, two tails fluttering out behind her.
	For a moment he and the Queen simply stared down the corridor, 
listening to the childrens' laughter slowly fade away.
	"A lively little kid," he remarked. "She's got my eyes...and 
my hair. But now whenever I see her, I'll be thinking 'odango-
atama'."
	The Queen chuckled. "Don't be so mean to her, Karasu."
	They continued to walk down the corridor, stopping as they 
reach the large archways that opened into the enormous ballroom. In 
another world, in another dream, a masquerade wraith had one night 
fashioned his own kingdom after such a palace.
	"Will you be attending the masquerade tonight?" she asked.
	He nodded. "I just have one last thing I need to take care of, 
and then I'll be back for certain. I promise you, Mother."
	How little did either one suspect that this was the last time 
they would ever see each other again. On that fateful night, the 
Wanderer would be born between worlds.


	He knelt down in the centre of a circle inside the four 
pillars of the elemental magiks, each at one of four corners of the 
chambers. Earth, Air, Water, Fire: their magik was laced together in 
forging the illusions he called forth.
	There was an outer ring to the circle, each one divided up to 
house a rune of each individual planet. Directly in front of him was 
Earth's rune. Directly beneath him was the rune of the Silver Moon.
	He jabbed the Arashi into the floor, the blade sinking into 
the middle of Earth's rune. The glowing Eye of the sword caught the 
light of the hundred candles lining the walls and floor.
	Closing his eyes he summoned the magik of illusion locked 
within his body. A spinning mandala of crystal orbs appeared, each 
one branded with a rune of the ancient Earthworld. Ancient magik 
learned not so long ago; he had become a master to do exactly what 
he was performing now. 
	For all those years of training, he had never forgotten that 
one silent promise he had made to himself as a child. The furies of 
the storm were in his blood, but could do nothing to open a gateway. 
No, for this he needed the art of illusion.
	"Summon magik!" he commanded, opening his eyes.
	A ripple of air cascaded through the room, striking him with 
surprising force. Dimensions became warped and hazy as magik flowed 
into the chambers. 
	He could barely suppress his excitement. "It's opening," he 
said. The gateway was revealing itself to him by his command.
	Strange ghosts seemed to emerge from a tidal wave of billowing 
grey myst that crawled over the floor. The mandala of illusions 
flickered, the runes of ancient Earth starting to bleed nightfall on 
the spheres.
	His crystal blue eyes narrowed in hard concentration as he 
felt something surge against his own power. Something was trying to 
break out, to escape. He pushed out his arms as if he was pushing 
the very air back.
	"Come on," he hissed. "Damn you, hold together for me!"
	And then he lost control.
	Dread seized his body as a cold tempest flooded into the 
chambers, the loose folds of his dark robes dancing in the gales. 
The candlelight erupted, now a deep blue and brilliant white. His 
mandala of illusions exploded, the crystals shooting off in every 
direction and shattering as they struck the walls. A storm of 
glittering blue sparks rained down from everywhere. 
	"Kon chikusho," he muttered darkly, shielding his face.
	A cloud of myst rose up and attacked, swarming around his body 
with cloudy tendrils. It tried to enter every orifice in his face, 
causing him to gag and gasp as he felt it seep into his body like a 
plague. 
	He made a strangled shout, stumbling backwards into the mysts 
as he fought to reach the doors of his chambers. Then of their own 
accord and not illusion, the double doors creaked to make a narrow 
opening.
	The princess of the Eternal Moon emerged. "Karasu-oniisan!" 
the little girl exclaimed, waving to him before seeing what laid 
within the walls of his chambers.
	His eyes widened in horror as the child stepped into the room, 
her growing curls of blonde hair dangling just beyond her waist. 
	"Serenity!" he shouted. "Get away from here! Run!"
	He was already beginning to feel the mysts take effect, 
dragging his body further beneath the floor of billowing cloud.
	The princess screamed, frightened by what she saw. Yet she was 
unable to turn and run, frozen in terror as the mysts began to creep 
towards her to lay claim on a second soul.
	"KUSO!" he howled, unleashing a single crystal before the 
mysts ensnared his arms. 
	The little princess watched the orb bounce across the floor, 
slamming itself into her chest. A split second later she 
disappeared, lost in a flash of light. The crystal continued 
bouncing out between the large double doors, rolling to the safety 
of another corridor.
	That left him behind to defend himself against a magik that 
understood nothing but the swinging of the portals between realms. 
Relentlessly it filtered into his lungs, spreading throughout his 
body.
	"Sh...shimatta," he hissed, fighting to keep his eyes open. 
	The mysts swarmed around his body, blanketing him in a cloud 
of forgetfulness. His fists clenched the edges of his dark robes, 
spasmed and finally relaxed.
	He collapsed onto the floor, his body growing still but not 
cold. No one could have heard his last protest, his final struggle. 
Alone, he left the world he once knew and discovered the deadly 
secrets of the lost souls.
	Somewhere out beyond, in a realm known only as the Dreamworld, 
the Wanderer awoke....
	

	She blinked, the memories of a brother unknown slipping away 
into the back of her mind. Now she was within a throne room with the 
Shadowqueen standing before her.
	"Karasu," she said quietly, treasuring those glimpses into the 
past.
	"A noble spirit to the end," the Empress said. "A soul like 
his did not deserve this fate. Such a pity."
	She shook her head. "Iie, I'm proud of him. He proved to have 
that which you are doomed to never possess: a heart." Slowly she 
rose to her feet, facing the Shadowqueen. "I will leave your palace 
now, and I am taking Mamo-chan with me."
	The Shadowqueen let out a wave of surprised laughter. 
"Amusing, child," the Empress chuckled. "Surrender to me. There is 
no one left to protect you, not even yourself."
	"I would have to disagree," stated a new voice.
	Her eyes widened in recognition of a voice not heard in a long 
time, even though the memories were as vivid as if she had lived 
them only a day ago. These were words spoken by the DreamMaster.
	Then he appeared, a golden horn appearing atop the 
DreamMaster's head as magik from a golden crystal was summoned. He 
placed himself between her and the Empress.
	"Helios," the Shadowqueen said with a scowl. "How kind of you 
to grace us with your...presence. I see the Wanderer's final burst 
of power allowed you to penetrate my barrier."
	The DreamMaster nodded. "And I am grateful to him for that. 
But I have come to take them back to the beautiful dreams they were 
dancing in before you stole them away."
	With a chuckle, the Empress sauntered up the steps. "And what 
would make you think I'd want to give up such cute little children, 
Helios?"
	"They have already suffered enough," the DreamMaster stated. 
"Let them both go, Empress. This is a battle none of us have won. 
But if you refuse, I will attack."
	The Shadowqueen nodded, bowing slightly to the DreamMaster. 
"So be it, Helios. Even in the enemy's kingdom our magiks rival one 
another. I can tell when a stalemate has been reached--but rest 
assured this does not mark the end. I have always returned in the 
past, and am not about to stop the game now."
	The Empress glanced over at her. "The prince and princess are 
yours to take home, Helios. Though I will not guarantee they are 
yours to keep." The Shadowqueen sat back onto the throne. "Come 
forth, Prince Endymion!"
	The dark-haired prince appeared, his body slowly being lowered 
before her. His hair was soaked with sweat and clinging to his skin, 
his expression tensed up as if he was fighting a nightmare. As he 
settled onto the floor, his expression changed to that of serenity, 
and his deep blue eyes opened to see her. 
	"Mamo-chan!" she cried out, embracing him.
	"Usa-ko," he said weakly "Gomen...."
	She smiled, gently kissing him on the forehead. "Daijobu, 
Mamo-chan. Close your eyes and sleep; I'll be here when you wake 
up."
	His fingers stroked her cheek. "I had a dream about you," he 
whispered. "The most beautiful dream I have ever seen." He brought 
her face closer to his, and together they kissed.
	It startled her to discover she was crying again.
	But the beating of her heart could not be stopped, and she 
wrapped her arms around her prince tighter than before. He was 
sleeping again, a content and peaceful expression across his face.
	"Usa-ko," his voice whispered in the winds.
	"Now give us back the lesser dragon named Suna," Helios said 
to the Shadowqueen. 
	"I'm afraid the dragon is mine to claim," the Empress stated. 
"You won your own freedom, child, and I was gracious enough to let 
this handsome prince return to you. But as Helios said, none of us 
have won this battle."
	The battered body of the fallen serpynt had all but vanished 
in that last fight, but was far from being considered dead. A small 
creature appeared next to the Shadowqueen, it's body resembling that 
of a lesser dragon, but now with rougher hide and adorned with rows 
of spikes down its back, legs and tail. And those eyes: once so 
bright and playful, they now held a dark and alluring malevolence of 
black pearl.
	The dragon alighted the Queen's shoulder, purring contentedly 
as the woman scratched beneath its chin. "Yes, Suna-chan. You belong 
to your Empress now."
	She tried to close out the sweet laughter of the Empress, 
remembering how brave the dragon had been to help her survive in 
this Shadow kingdom.
	"I'm sorry, Usagi," the DreamMaster said quietly. "There is 
nothing more we can do. Unless she releases him, Suna-chan is now a 
servant to the Shadowdemons."
	Reluctantly, she nodded.
	But there would come another time. She would not let this go, 
and she knew that neither would the raven knight upon learning of 
this dark twist of fate.
	The Shadowqueen smiled. "Do you think I would let the game 
simply end, child? It goes on forever, just as it always has in the 
past."
	And with one final gesture, the Empress worked one last 
incantation of magik, sending the DreamMaster and the two dreamers 
back into Illusion. 
	As the twinkling lights surrounded them, she held her prince 
tightly in her arms, watching the storybook castle disappear. Before 
all was lost from her sight, she saw with crystal blue eyes the 
Arashi lodged in the cobblestone floor.
	"Arigato, Karasu," she whispered. "Thank you for believing in 
me...."


	The days of school had begun again once more, the celebration 
of the new year come and gone. A January sun was warming the city of 
Tokyo as somewhere a high school's chimes sounded for lunch. With 
the weather still quite cold, students were finding a place to eat 
together inside, in their clusters and groups.
	And from a distance, almost seen yet almost not seen, three 
souls watched at the corner of one of the school's hallways. One was 
a female guardian of space and time, her true age as unknown as that 
of the raven angels. In her hand was held a key-shaped staff capable 
of waking the dead with a silent scream. Magenta eyes stared down at 
the students milling about.
	"What do you think?" she inquired.
	Another beside her was a young man with misty eyes and white 
flowing hair. At times a golden horn would appear atop his head if 
magik was to be summoned. He was the one with the powers of the 
DreamMaster, the ultimate guardian of humanity's dreams. 
	He held hands with the third of group, a blossoming young girl 
perhaps fourteen or perhaps far older than she appeared. The teenage 
girl had thick, soft hair tinted pink in the sunlight, the hairstyle 
shaped almost like that of a rabbit's ears.
	"This will set our plans back," the DreamMaster admitted. 
"Without his past memories, any magik he once held is now buried 
deep down inside his mind. I cannot travel to the future with him in 
this state."
	The time guardress nodded. "I would have to agree. But for now 
we should let him be; it's been a long time since he ever had a 
chance to lead a normal life. In the meantime, Small Lady can remain 
here in this century."
	"I don't have a problem with that!" the Tsukino child piped 
up. "So long as you stay here, Helios."
	The DreamMaster laughed, kissing the girl's hand. "Ara, 
Chibiusa-chan. I guess with you here I have no other choice."
	The time guardress nodded towards a group of gathering 
students. "It is almost time for the final illusion to take hold."
	And so they watched, and waited.

	
	At one time they had been a well-known and diverse group of 
four girls at the high school, each one with different talents and 
interests, yet all sharing one friendship. But now there were 
newcomers to the group: strangers who were not all they completely 
appeared to be.
	From other realms and other dreams they had crossed over to be 
with their soulmates, finding love in the arms of the girls they had 
fought to protect--and finding protection themselves in those same 
arms.
	She smiled as she listened to all her friends talk with each 
other about the morning. They were not all in the same homeroom 
classes, thus having different experiences to share and laments to 
make. Right now they were finding a place to settle down together.
	Her long and blonde, odango-style hair fluttered behind her as 
she toted her bento box with her. On most other days she would have 
been already devouring the box' contents, but on this morning she 
was pensive, smiling at the memory a dream the night before.
	"Have you heard?" the long-haired blonde whispered excitedly. 
"There's a new transfer student in one of the higher grades. And 
he's supposed to be really really cute too!"
	"And just what does that make me? The spare boyfriend?" the 
raven knight said, poking the long-haired blonde in the side.
	"You know what they say!" the long-haired blonde answered. 
"Two's company, and the third get stuck with the bill!"
	The raven knight groaned and rubbed his temples. "Yare yare."
	"That's 'two's company, three's a crowd', Minako-chan," the 
blue-haired genius sighed.
	"I wouldn't mind seeing him," the tall brunette agreed. "From 
all the gossip reports, he's almost cute enough to rival my Sora-
chan."
	"Hopefully not cute enough to replace me," Sora answered 
uneasily, glancing down at the tall brunette's engagement ring.
	The masquerade wraith sighed, draping an arm over Sora's 
shoulder. "Sora, you have got to lighten up a little. Don't take 
things so personally. I swear if it wasn't for your magik you'd have 
an ulcer by now." Turning to the blue-haired genius, the wraith 
added with a playful wink, "Ami-chan, that reminds me: tonight we 
feature our chess rematch. I trust you'll dress for the occasion?"
	The blue-haired genius blushed. "H-hai," the genius stammered.
	"Ah, Ami-chan!" the long-haired blonde teased. "You're 
blushing again!"
	"Oh...am I?" the blue-haired genius asked shyly. For all that 
the young lady had opened up to about romance, there were still many 
things Meikyu knew to say that would make the blue-haired genius 
blush.
	She laughed quietly at that.
	"Usagi-chan?" the tall brunette asked. "Daijobu?"
	She looked up at her friends. "Hmm?" One step without looking 
later found her face painfully meeting with an open door. She 
collapsed onto the floor, dazed as she landed on her butt.
	"Hai, she's perfectly fine," Sora said, sighing.
	"You're such a clutz, Usagi-chan," the tall brunette said, 
helping her up. "On the bright side, you found a place for us to 
eat."
	They all laughed together, settling down at a cluster of desks 
and opening their lunches. She discovered how hungry she was upon 
smelling the aroma of fresh food with the lifting her bento box lid.
	"Ah!" she exclaimed, waving her chopsticks in the air and 
deciding where to strike first. "Itadakimasu!"
	The three guardian angels stared at her as she proceeded to 
attack her meal, moving at an almost blinding pace.
	"Has there ever been a day she doesn't eat like that?" the 
raven knight asked.
	The blue-haired genius sighed. "Not that any of us have known 
of."
	Meikyu glanced over to one of the open sliding windows that 
gazed into the hallways, contentedly chewing on his own meal after 
making sure it was a safe distance from her killer chopsticks and 
ravenous mouth. The wraith's jade green eyes caught sight of someone 
approaching, someone new to them all at this school.
	"Now who is that?" the masquerade wraith asked.
	"Let me see! Let me see!" the long-haired blonde exclaimed, 
leaping up and using the wraith's head to push off her seat. 
Meikyu's hands twitched slightly, his face slammed into the desktop.
	The raven angel winced. "Now that must have hurt."
	"Is it the new transfer student?" the tall brunette asked, 
straightening up to see past the others.	
	She managed to lift her own face from her bento box, chewing 
the last mouthful of rice she could fit in her mouth. "Where?"
	And then there he was, strolling towards them in a brisk but 
unhurried pace, oblivious or ignoring a growing row of girls lurking 
somewhere behind him.
	The young man's face was hidden by the streams of sunlight 
pouring down from the blue skies in the hall windows behind him. 
Then he slowly stepped into the room, his features growing more 
distinct with each step as he crossed through the doorway.
	At first there was something strangely familiar in the way he 
wore an outfit unique from the regulated uniforms here at Jyuban 
High School. A black suit jacket and pants over a billowing white 
dress shirt, and a thin black tie slightly loosened around his neck, 
the ends of each article fluttering as he moved. 
	Where had she seen that before?
	He caught the partial shadows of the room, his face now 
revealed as bangs of shining blonde hair danced over his forehead in 
the wind, even longer strands in the back fluttering around his 
shoulders.
	And then she realized who he was. She froze, unable to speak 
or even think of anything to say. The bento box in her hands slipped 
out from her grip, rice spilling onto the desktop.
	"Ma...masaka," the long-haired blonde exclaimed.
	The young man leaned forward, giving a small but playful bow 
to them all. "Hajimimashute," he said with a smile, sliding a pair 
of shades down from his face to reveal shimmering, crystal blue 
eyes. "Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Karasu. Kageno 
Karasu."



	AND THIS IS MERELY THE BEGINNING....




	Final Thanks:

	-To Naoko Takeuchi. It was her characters and her world in 	 
	 which these tales are based on. I can only hope that if 	 
	 ever you somehow come upon reading these stories, you are 	 
	 indeed pleased with the realms that lie within.

	-To his lordship Mayhem, who challenged me with his own 	 
 	 writings to create such a place as the Dreamworld. And then 	
 	 who made certain I did not stray when I wrote of Ami and 	 
	 her masquerade wraith. Without your inspiration these 	 
	 tales would have never found life.

	-To Tim Nolan, who proved to me through his "Anniversary" 	 
	 series that the erotic and romantic could indeed be done. 	 
	 Rarely has any other series captivated me so much in both 	 
	 its style and its story.

	-To Li'l Pestilence aka Pesti-chan, who graciously supported 	 
	 me in not just my writings from the beginning. Your work
	 and admiration has not gone unnoticed, my friend.

	-To NeoHaruka, who insisted that I continue this series even 	 
	 as I reached the final tales. I can only hope to one day 	 
	 repay all your kind words and criticisms. May you find 	 
	 yourself dancing in a dream all your own tonight.

	-And to all the others out there who've let me know that in
	 these tales, I have been doing something right. You know
	 who you are, and I thank you all for your kind words and
	 support. Perhaps one day you will discover the name of the
	 raven angel who watches over your dreams every night....